Humza Yousaf officially quits as Scottish First Minister paving the way for John Swinney to take over TODAY after 'Sturgeon apologist' was handed 'coronation' as SNP leader

Humza Yousaf officially quit as Scottish First minister today paving the way for John Swinney to be installed within hours.

Mr Yousaf signed his resignation letter to the King as the transition to the veteran MSP - set to become the third holder of the post in barely a year - takes effect.  

Despite swipes that he is a 'Sturgeon apologist' and 'continuity' option, Mr Swinney was the only candidate running when nominations closed yesterday.  

He managed to convince former finance secretary Kate Forbes to join his team rather than challenge him, in a move billed a 'stitch-up' by opponents.

MSPs are expected to vote on him becoming First Minister at Holyrood today, with Opposition parties not seeking to block him despite the SNP being short of a majority. 

Mr Swinney swerved a late obstacle yesterday as he persuaded activist Graeme McCormick not to go ahead with forcing a leadership contest, even though he had secured the support required to stand.

In his victory speech in Glasgow yesterday, Mr Swinney acknowledged the scale of the infighting and crises which have engulfed the SNP and admitted the party has been through a 'rough, tough time'. 

But he claimed that his party has now 'come back together again' under his leadership and 'got our act together'.

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross said Mr Swinney would just 'double down on the independence obsession' rather than tackling Scotland's problems.

'It's difficult to see how he can be the fresh start Scotland needs, when he's the ultimate continuity candidate,' he said.

'John Swinney was joined at the hip with the disgraced Nicola Sturgeon and his fingerprints are all over her numerous policy failures and cover-ups.

'The stitch-up the SNP have engineered to ensure John Swinney's coronation highlights the mess they're in. 

'Is a failed former leader from two decades ago – who, as education secretary, sent Scotland plummeting down international league tables – really the best they have to offer?

Mr Yousaf's time as First Minister was spent dealing with a long list of crises, including developments in the police probe into the SNP's funding and finances, a series of policy U-turns, disciplinary issues, defections and bitter infighting between factions in his party.

In his speech yesterday, Mr Swinney claimed the speedy leadership process can allow the SNP to 'get back on the front foot'. 

A Norstat poll at the weekend showed the SNP is on course to fall to just 15 seats following the general election, and to slide behind Labour at the next Holyrood election.

The SNP vote share in a Westminster election was seen as dropping to its lowest level since the 2014 independence referendum.

The party would hold just 15 of its 43 seats with Scottish Labour winning 28 - a dramatic increase from its current two.

According to the Sunday Times survey, the SNP had support from 29 per cent of the electorate - a fall of three points in a month, while Labour's share increased by two points to 34 per cent.

Under Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP became the third largest party at Westminster, winning 56 of 59 Scottish seats in 2015.

The Scottish Conservatives, whose vote share remained at 16 per cent in the poll, would add three seats to return nine MPs - while the Liberal Democrats, on 8 per cent, would boost their yield by one to five MPs.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: 'John Swinney's coronation is entirely about managing the SNP rather than running our country. 

'At a time when Scotland is crying out for change, the SNP is offering more of the same.'