First Minister candidates say 'make up your own minds' on second choice
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All three SNP leadership contenders have refused to say which of their rivals would make the second-best leader.
Asked who they would encourage their supporters to back as a second choice, all three potential First Ministers refused to "play the game".
Asking the question at the Inverness Courier Leadership Debate, moderator Nicky Marr said: "Only one of you can win.
"Who would you encourage your supporters to choose as their second choice in the SNP leadership vote?"
Despite the audience's positive reaction to the question, candidates wasted no time in pushing back.
Health secretary Humza Yousaf said: "You can press all you want, but I am telling my supporters to vote for me number one.
"They can choose who they want otherwise, if they want a number two or number three."
Asked if he was "not playing", Mr Yousaf said: "What do you mean not playing?
"People have a democratic choice to put number one or, if they want, to put number two or number three. It is up to them."
Asked again if he would provide a recommendation for the "who else" question, Mr Yousaf gave a conclusive no.
Despite hinting at an overlap between her and Kate Forbes' support base, Ash Regan also refused to answer.
Ms Regan said: "Well there is only three of us in this contest, so I would hope the membership have a good idea by this stage about who they might want to vote for.
"I have seen some suggestion online that Kate and Ash supporters might be ranking each other one and two in either direction but I couldn't possibly comment on that."
Turning to Kate Forbes, Mrs Marr asked: "Are you going to let me down as well?"
Ms Forbes said: "I happen to like and rate both of my colleagues.
"And I am not playing the game either.
"I think people should vote on the basis of what they have heard and I couldn't fault them whoever they choose."
Ms Regan and Mr Yousaf went on to expand on why they decided not to take a stance.
Asked whether the public could trust them to be honest if they could not answer this question, Ms Regan said: "We are being honest because we are telling our supporters to vote for us number one.
"I haven't given any other instruction to anyone else."
Mr Yousaf said: "We are not being leadership candidates to support other leadership candidates.
"We are saying to our members: 'You make the choice.'
"Vote for me, but if you don't want to vote for me make up your own mind.
"We are not going to dictate to you who to put for number two."
