Humza Yousaf has won the race to replace Nicola Sturgeon as leader of the Scottish National party, paving the way for him to become Scotland’s first minister.

The 37-year old health secretary won 52.1 per cent of the vote of SNP members in the second round of voting, beating Kate Forbes, the finance secretary, who got 47.9 per cent. Ash Regan, the former community safety minister, was eliminated in the first round of voting.

The announcement in Edinburgh ended a six-week contest that grew increasingly bitter as the three candidates attacked each other’s records. Yousaf is due to be sworn in as first minister on Wednesday, becoming the first person from an ethnic minority to hold the position, after a parliamentary vote in Holyrood on Tuesday.

This is a developing story.