CUMNOCK’S MSP has announced who she is backing in the race to be Scotland's next First Minister.

Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley's Elena Whitham has given her support to Humza Yousaf to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and First Minister. 

She took to Twitter to give Mr Yousaf her backing shortly after Scotland’s health secretary officially launched his leadership campaign on Monday.

Ms Whitham, who represents the Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley constituency, said in her tweet: “I want to live in a fairer, equal, socially just society where everyone is able to be their authentic self. This matters to me deeply.

“I believe we are already on that path and @HumzaYousaf will ensure it is at the heart of an independent Scotland󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 #Humza4FM.”

Ms Whitham is one of only two Ayrshire politicians to have publicly backed one of the trio to have declared their candidacies so far, with Ayr constituency MSP Siobhian Brown giving her support to finance secretary Kate Forbes.

Following Ms Sturgeon’s resignation speech last week, Ms Whitham said the First Minister had “been a formidable leader who has moved Scotland forward, during our darkest hours and in our journey to being a stronger, fairer and progressively socially just country and onwards to independence”.

Ms Whitham added that she had “nothing but unrelenting gratitude and pride for the First Minister’s achievements”.