Kate Forbes, Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan officially qualify as SNP leadership candidates

Highland MSP Kate Forbes is one of three candidates who will take part in the race to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister and leader of the SNP

She will be joined by health secretary Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan after all three met the threshold for nominations by the noon deadline.

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Candidates needed to get 100 nominations from at least 20 local party branches to qualify for the wider ballot.

Now using a single transferable vote system, SNP members will decide their next leader when the voting opens on March 13 and closes on March 27, when the winner will be announced.

Ms Forbes was seen as an early frontrunner but after an explosive week and much controversy over her views the contest is expected to be much closer.

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