SNP has 'no obvious successor' to Nicola Sturgeon as support for independence hovers around 50%

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Scotland's top polling expert has said the future success of the independence campaign will depend on who the SNP chooses as its next leader.Professor John Curtice told the Record there were "obvious downsides" for Yes campaigners as a result of Nicola Sturgeon's dramatic resignation yesterday.The Strathclyde University academic, who is a regular analyst on BBC political shows, said it was not obvious the Nationalists had a replacement who could match the communication skills of the out-going First Minister.Sturgeon became leader of the SNP in the wake of the 2014 referendum on independence which saw the pro-UK side win by 55%-45%.Support for ending the Union has regularly hovered around the 50 per cent mark in the years since.The First Minister's plan to stage an IndyRef2 in October this year was struck down by the Supreme Court last November after it ruled Holyrood did not have the required legal powers.The independence campaign initially saw a rise in support as a result of that decision - but one poll last weekend saw it drop to 44 per cent.Asked about the impact of Sturgeon's exit on the independence campaign, Curtice said: "All we can realistically say at the moment is that the balls have all of a sudden been thrown into the air, and we don't know how they will land."What we can also say is, yes, there are some obvious downsides for the SNP and the independence movement."At the moment, there isn't an obvious successor, and there isn't an obvious successor who has demonstrated an ability to communicate with the public and advocate the case for independence as effectively as Sturgeon."Therefore there is a risk."The SNP leadership battle will also presumably, depending who emerges, become a debate about the party's