Kate Forbes was telling people yesterday that she would not go up against John Swinney in an SNP leadership contest.

This sounds like she may possibly have had a change of heart.

More in Common's Luke Tryl tells HuffPost UK: 'For now at least, it looks like Rishi’s ‘good week’ hasn’t been received as well as he might have hoped by the public.'

huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/tory-sup…

Kate Forbes ally says “she won’t run” in the SNP leadership contest, although another supporter insists she’s still “weighing it up”.

We’ll find out soon enough.

Stephen Flynn says the fact that Holyrood elects its first ministers means it's not essential for the SNP to have a leadership contest.

Not a denial …

John Swinney Favourite To Be Scotland's Next First Minister As Rivals Row In Behind Him huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/john-swi…

is it really going to go salmond, swinney, sturgeon, salmond, sturgeon, yousaf swinney? what does it say about the quality of the party’s representatives if the SNP’s seven Holyrood leaders are drawn from a pool of four people.

Since writing this earlier today, Jenny Gilruth, Stephen Flynn and Neil Gray have all thrown their weight behind John Swinney to succeed Humza Yousaf.

Assuming Kate Forbes opts out this time, Swinney looks a shoo-in.

huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/who-is-i…

SNP high-ups clearly desperate to avoid a leadership contest. Swinney now looks like a stick-on for first minister - assuming he wants it.

Ian Backford backs John Swinney to be the next SNP leader.

Feels like the party's old guard are coalescing around him as Yousaf's successor, probably without a contest.

Alex Salmond: 'This idea that Humza Yousaf didn't want to do a deal with Alba is simply untrue. At 7.30 this morning he was trying to do a deal with Alba and complimented the proposals we'd made as 'very reasonable'.'

But Salmond says the SNP 'old guard' blocked it.

Swinney rules himself out of leadership saying he’s been around too long and that fresh talent should come forward. A year ago.

Yousaf: 'I am not willing to trade my values and principles, or do a deal with whoever, simply for retaining power.'

Alex Salmond - the persona non grata of Scottish politics.

huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/humza-yo…

SNP source on who'll succeed Yousaf: 'If Swinney stands, I’d guess for an interim period, it’ll be him. He would take a lot of convincing but he’s a party loyalist to his bones.'

Runners and riders here 👇

huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/who-is-i…

Who Is In The Running To Succeed Humza Yousaf As SNP Leader? huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/who-is-i…

Interesting More in Common research showing Tory voters backing Angela Rayner over the council house row.

Might Conservative attacks on her be backfiring?

huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/tory-vot…

Boris Johnson Caught Zooming Down A Dinosaur Slide On Children's Entertainment Instagram Account huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/boris-jo…

Could Ditching His Greens Spell The End For Humza Yousaf?

Sounds like the answer will very soon be yes.

huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/snp-in-c…

🚨 The HuffPost UK political read on how the PM's relatively good week ended in disaster - and why Thursday's local elections could seal his fate.

🔥 One senior Tory said: 'If Ben Houchen and Andy Street lose then he’s in serious bother.”

huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/rishi-su…

Not sure Wes Streeting MP was entirely convinced by Chris Philp's explanation for his Rwanda gaffe ...

'Chris says it was a rhetorical question. I'll believe ... Chris ...'

huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/tory-min…