KEITH Brown has emerged as the clear front runner to become deputy leader of the SNP, a move which should see him catapulted from being a junior minister for housing and transport to the rank of Deputy First Minister.
He will declare his nomination for the post this morning, but it is understood he already has the support of up to half of the SNP's MSPs.
Assuming that Nicola Sturgeon becomes First Minister there is no automatic rule that the deputy national convener of the party, to give the post its full title, is made Deputy First Minister.
However, Mr Brown, 52, already has such strong backing among his Holyrood colleagues that he has emerged as clear favourite for the post.
Other likely contenders are the party's Treasury spokesman at Westminster, Stewart Hosie, and the MEP Alyn Smith.
Mr Hosie is expected to declare later today but the strength of support for Mr Brown will mean he is playing catch-up.
Other members of the Scottish Cabinet are understood to have ruled themselves out.
One MSP said: "Keith didn't even realise he had such support until people began approaching him. That's typical of the man.
"He has all the qualities we need as a deputy and I now understand half the group is backing him."
Mr Brown also has appeal beyond the Holyrood or political bubble as someone with a hinterland.
It includes him leaving Tynecastle High School in Edinburgh into what he calls the "Thatcher recession" and, unable to find work, joining the Marines, seeing active service in the Falklands War. On leaving the armed forces he joined the SNP while studying at Dundee University, became a local government official and then stood for local office before becoming council leader in Clackmannanshire.
He came into Parliament in 2007 and in his maiden speech admitted that he had an outstanding fine as a Skye Bridge toll protester. He was made a junior education minister within two years.
He now holds the post of Veterans' Minister as well as his housing and transport portfolios, a recognition that his personal story is important to those who see politicians as a political class lacking roots in real experience. His partner is MSP and trade unionist Christina McKelvie.
Meanwhile, the SNP membership may be frozen at yesterday's level for the purposes of leadership elections but there was no sign of the demand abating. MSPs talked of dropping into headquarters to help out and ending up fielding phone calls for hours.
By last night there had been 35,104 new members in under a week, taking party membership to 60,746.
One of the newest recruits to the party is a former assistant general secretary of the Scottish Labour Party, Tommy Sheppard, now better known as the operator of The Stand comedy clubs in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
He wrote on the YesScotland website: "The Yes campaign has been the biggest progressive movement I've been involved with in over 35 years of political activity.
"The level of involvement has been unparalleled. So many people, so much hope and an incredible unity of purpose."
He added: "Gladly, few seem to be content now to go back to the sofa and let the political class just get on with it. We mustn't.""
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