Humza Yousaf said Nicola Sturgeon will “definitely” campaign for the SNP at the next general election.
The Scottish First Minister and SNP leader described his predecessor as “one of the most successful politicians in Europe”.
Asked on ITV’s Peston if he would like Ms Sturgeon to campaign for the party at the election, Mr Yousaf said: “Oh, she definitely will – I’ve got no doubt about that.
“She’s one of the most successful politicians in Europe, she’s got a formidable track record in terms of election victories, why on earth would you not want her to be involved in that election campaign.
“So I’m certain that she absolutely will be involved in the election campaign right throughout between now and whenever that general election is called.”
It comes after a difficult start to the year for the SNP with Ms Sturgeon’s exit and a police probe into its finances.
At its conference in Aberdeen last year the party set victory as winning a majority of seats north of the border – the equivalent of 29 constituencies under new boundaries.
The nationalist party won 48 out of 59 Scottish seats at the last general election.
But recent polling suggests the SNP is now level with Labour, which currently has just two Scottish MPs, north of the border.
The Redfield and Wilton survey of 1,000 Scots on March 10 and 11 put the two parties on 34 percent with voters.
Mr Yousaf reiterated his party’s desire to remove all seven Tory MPs in Scotland as he addressed activists on Sunday.
