Scotland may ditch monarchy, replace king with elected representative, says SNP leader Hamza Yousaf

Edinburgh: Scotland might consider ditching the monarchy within five years of independence and replace king Charles III with an elected head of the state. The announcement came from SNP leadership candidate Humza Yousaf during an interview with the National. Yousaf, who is also Scotland’s health minister, stated that even though it wasn’t a top priority right away, Scotland should think about abandoning the monarchy if it became independent. “When we become independent, we’ll need to set up our central bank and switch to a new Scottish currency, which I’ve been eager to do as soon as possible,” he said. “But let’s definitely think about whether to switch from a monarchy to an elected chief of state within the first five years,” he said. When asked about Prince Edward receiving the title of Duke of Edinburgh, he continued, “Look, royals have complete discretion. However, I view myself as a citizen first and foremost, not a slave,” he said. For the position of Scotland’s next First Minister and to succeed Nicola Sturgeon, Yousaf is competing against Finance Secretary Kate Forbes and former minister Ash Regan. The competition is entering its closing two weeks, and the winner will be announced on March 27 after the polls. The three candidates are being ranked by SNP party members, and the finalist will be eliminated if no one gets more than 50% of the first preferences. Experts believe Forbes is more well-liked by the majority of Scottish voters than Yousaf. Because of her traditional Christian views, Forbes has come under fire in the race after admitting that if she had been an MSP in 2014, she would have voted against gay marriage. Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .