The contest to replace Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader dominates the front pages. Either Humza Yousaf, Kate Forbes or Ash Regan will be confirmed as the winner on Monday before facing a Holyrood vote to be new first minister on Tuesday. The National says it is “more important than ever” that Ms Sturgeon’s successor leads Scotland to independence.
The contest has narrowed to a two-horse race between Health Secretary Humza Yousaf and Finance Secretary Kate Forbes, according to the Herald. Former minister Ms Regan “appeared to have conceded defeat”, the paper says. It describes it as the “dawn of a new era” for Scotland.
The Metro also hails the beginning of a new era. It notes that voting for SNP members closes at 12:00 BST, with the result set to be announced at about 14:00 BST. If the new SNP leader is voted in as first minister on Tuesday, they will be sworn in at the Court of Session on Wednesday.
Bookmakers’ favourite Mr Yousaf has vowed to target child poverty if he wins the contest, the Daily Record reports. The health secretary says extra funds raised from taxing wealthy Scots, energy firms and landowners could be used to raise the Scottish Child Payment.
Paraphrasing Sir Alex Ferguson, the Scottish Sun declares it is “squeaky Hum time” as Humza Yousaf faces a “nervy” wait to find out if he will succeed the outgoing first minister Nicola Sturgeon. The paper reports the health secretary’s allies are concerned he could be “pipped at the post” by Ms Forbes.
Ms Forbes has vowed to unite the SNP and “reach across the political divide” if she wins the leadership vote. Following a fraught SNP contest, the finance secretary says only she could prevent an “endless loop” of fighting over independence, according to the Telegraph.
Ms Forbes was urged not to run for the leadership in the first place, according to a report in the Scottish Daily Mail. Sources close to the finance secretary allege Ms Sturgeon’s top advisor told her that she would have “little support”. Ms Forbes was also informed the cabinet “used her for her brains”, sources told the paper.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar says Ms Sturgeon’s successor is being left to “pick up the pieces” of her reign. The contest winner has been urged to tackle an “overflowing in-tray”, the Scotsman reports.
The Bute House Agreement, the deal which brought the Greens into government, could be under threat depending on the outcome of the contest, the Times reports. It says Mr Yousaf has “started to backtrack on key issues” while Ms Forbes and Ms Regan “have made clear they could seek to review or even scrap the pact”.
The i leads on the UK government’s flagship Illegal Migration bill returning to the Commons on Monday. It says ministers may have to make concessions to “stave off a revolt”, as up to 60 Tory right-wingers want to toughen up the proposed law, which aims to “stop small boats” crossing the Channel.
The Scottish Daily Express says Conservative ministers are fighting to “quell” the actions of backbench Tory MPs, who want the prime minister to “close every legal loophole” that “allows foreign judges to interfere with Britain’s borders”.
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The Edinburgh Evening News leads with “D-Day” in the SNP leadership contest. It says the race to replace Ms Sturgeon has been a “rocky affair with dramatic resignations and acrimonious clashes between the candidates”.
Hospitality bosses on the Isle of Skye have warned car crashes are “inevitable” unless urgent road repairs are made. Business leaders are appealing to the Scottish government to take action, warning there is a “strong possibility of a series of tragedies” as thousands of tourists return during the holiday season, the Press and Journal reports.
The Glasgow Times leads with a report on complaints about cable-laying work carried out on a busy city street. Residents and businesses on Queen Margaret Drive were “left upset” after the work caused disruption in the area.
A heavy metal singer has been found guilty of raping three women in Dundee, the Evening Telegraph reports. Lewis Brodie attacked one of his victims while she was asleep, the paper says.
The chief of the historic Trades House charity, which manages funds of more than £18m, has resigned following allegations he interfered in an election and breached the code of conduct. Dunkeld man Billy Birse-Stewart told the Courier he has been cleared of wrongdoing.
Aberdeen footballer Hayden Coulson has launched an appeal to find his dog, Zola, after it ran off during a 17-car crash on the road to Stonehaven. The Evening Express says the German shepherd was in one of the cars during the incident.
And finally – it’s going to “rain cats and dogs”, the Daily Star of Scotland has warned. It says that a “deluge” of wet weather is heading our way, with a spell of rain set to continue into April.
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