Scottish finance minister Kate Forbes has said she would run in the leadership contest to replace Nicola Sturgeon as Scottish National Party (SNP) leader and Scotland's first minister.
Ms Forbes, who was elected to the Scottish parliament in 2016 and became finance secretary in 2020, is the third candidate to enter the race since Ms Sturgeon's surprise resignation last week.
Ms Sturgeon's exit has left a question mark over the SNP's fight for independence as the Westminster government has blocked its attempts to hold a second vote after a 2014 referendum saw Scotland vote 55% to 45% to remain part of the United Kingdom.
"I can't sit back and watch our nation thwarted on the road to self determination," Ms Forbes said in a video posted on Twitter.
"We need a leader who's bold, brave and energised, fresh faced and ready for new challenges. Somebody who inspires your confidence as an SNP member, and who inspires the confidence of the people of Scotland to vote for a better future. I am that leader."
The SNP has said it will choose a new leader within six weeks through a ballot of its members, which will close on 27 March.
Ms Sturgeon will stay on until a successor has been picked.l
A fluent Gaelic speaker, Ms Forbes studied history at the universities of Cambridge and Edinburgh and worked as an accountant in the banking industry before entering parliament.
She was among senior politicians who urged the Scottish government in 2019 not to rush into gender reform legislation. Ms Sturgeon became embroiled in a row over transgender rights over the divisive bill. It was eventually passed in December but has been blocked by the British government.
Health minister Humza Yousaf and former minister Ash Regan have said they will run in the contest to replace Ms Sturgeon.
Two other possible contenders, culture minister Angus Robertson, a former deputy leader of the party, and John Swinney, the deputy first minister, have ruled themselves out.
