The front runner in the SNP race to replace Nicola Sturgeon has said Scotland could cede the monarchy within five years of independence and replace King Charles with an elected head of state.
Humza Yousaf, a Republican, detailed in his most recent interview how he believes regional assemblies should start debating questions about “what kind of Scotland we want to see”.
Voting in the competition to succeed Ms Sturgeon as SNP leader and Scotland’s first minister opened on Monday. Tens of thousands of party members received ballots to choose between rivals Mr Yousaf, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan. Voting closes on March 27th.
Mr Yousaf’s vision for his country would not include the monarchy – and he told The National he believes the move to an elected head of state should happen within five years of independence.
He said: “Let’s also talk about things like monarchy. I don’t know why we should be shy about it, I don’t think we should be. I was very clear I’m a Republican. It’s never been something I’ve hidden.”
SNP Republican lead candidate Humza Yousaf (pictured Monday) has said Scotland could give up the monarchy within five years of independence and replace King Charles with an elected head of state
Mr Yousaf’s vision of a new Scotland does not include the monarchy – and he told The National that he believes the move from royals to an elected head of state should instead occur within five years of independence (King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla are pictured on Commonwealth Day on Monday)
The politician added that he was “interested” in switching to a new Scottish currency “as soon as possible”.
“But let’s definitely consider within the first five years whether or not we should move from a monarchy to an elected head of state,” Mr Yousaf said.
He explained that he considered himself a “citizen, not a subject,” adding that he thought it was “important” to take the step within the first few years of independence.
Mr Yousaf’s proposals come just three days after Prince Edward was bestowed the title of Duke of Edinburgh on his 59th birthday and his wife Sophie became the Duchess of Edinburgh.
Her son James, Viscount Severn, 15, will be known as Earl of Wessex from today – his father’s former title, while none of the changes will affect her daughter Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, 19, due to the old primogeniture rules.
The third televised showdown between Mr Yousaf, Ms Forbes and Ms Regan to take place in Edinburgh was broadcast on Sky News on Monday night.
The previous two debates have been marked by bitter clashes between the candidates, which has led to comparisons to a “circular firing squad”.
Mr Yousaf’s ministerial file was slammed by Ms Forbes, who has also suggested he should be sacked from his role as health minister because of the Scottish NHS crisis.
Voting in the competition to succeed Nicola Sturgeon (pictured) as SNP leader and Scotland’s First Minister opened on Monday. Tens of thousands of SNP members received ballots to choose between rivals Mr. Yousaf, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan
But Mr Yousaf has flicked back, highlighting Ms Forbes’ socially conservative views and suggesting her election as leader would result in the SNP “tumbling to the right”.
Meanwhile, Ms Regan, widely seen as a competitive underdog, has delivered a scathing judgment on Ms Sturgeon’s long tenure.
She has told SNP members the party is “lost” and admitted there has been “no progress” on Scottish independence in recent years.
Ms Regan has also continued her criticism of Ms Sturgeon’s husband, Peter Murrell, who is the SNP’s chief executive.
“Actually, he’s running the competition to replace his wife,” Ms. Regan has claimed.
Mr Yousaf pledged to shift the SNP’s push for Scottish independence into “fifth gear” if he is elected party leader.
It followed a suggestion from Social Security Secretary Ben Macpherson to “shift down a gear” rather than “take a reckless, overly disruptive path”.
Asked about Mr Macpherson’s comments, Mr Yousaf said: “I take the opposite view, I think we should ramp up activity and not shut it down.
“If I were the First Minister, I would put us in fifth gear – let alone down a gear.
“There are a number of prospectus papers that I would publish in relation to the fall of independence once I become First Minister.
“But on the first day we also have to boost the yes movement.”
SNP leadership hopeful Ms Forbes said she agreed with the “brave” JK Rowling on transgender issues as she and her rivals faced another live TV barbecue.
In another bad-tempered televised debate, Ms Forbes faced scrutiny for her socially conservative views.
The 32-year-old – a member of the evangelical Free Church of Scotland – almost saw her campaign collapse in a series of car-crash interviews last month.
In his last interview before the final election deadline on March 27, Yousaf detailed how he believes regional assemblies should start debating questions about “what kind of Scotland we want to see” (Picture on Sunday).
Mr Yousaf said he considered himself a “citizen, not a subject” during the Sky News debate last night, adding that he thought it was “important” to move away from the monarchy within the first years of independence ( pictured against fellow SNP candidates Ash Regan and Kate Forbes)
Yousaf’s proposals come just three days after Prince Edward was bestowed the title of Duke of Edinburgh on his 59th birthday when his wife Sophie became the Duchess of Edinburgh (Edward and Sophie with Prince Philip at a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award garden party at Buckingham Palace in 2016)
She admitted that she voted against gay marriage and branded premarital sex as “wrong.”
But last night Ms Forbes insisted she did not “disapprove” of unmarried couples and gay couples.
She also called conversion therapy “abominable” — although she didn’t say she would ban the practice entirely.
Both Ms Forbes and Ms Regan called Ms Rowling – the Harry Potter author and a leading critic of the Scottish Government’s gender identity reforms – “brave” to speak out on the issue.
All three candidates agreed that they would demand an independence referendum in Westminster as the price for the SNP’s support for a Labor government.