Who is Humza Yousaf? Know about the top candidate to take SNP leadership after Nicola Sturgeon

Humza Yousaf is currently seen as the top candidate for the position of First Minister of Scotland and leader of the SNP, following his commitment to “re-energise the independence campaign in the best interests of our nation.”

The Health and Social Care Secretary of Scotland has moved up to second place with a 2/5 chance in the bookmakers' predictions to succeed Nicola Sturgeon, surpassing the two other declared contenders, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan.

Ms. Forbes' leadership campaign was in jeopardy recently after she stated her opposition to gay marriage. In response, Mr. Yousaf commented that he has been very clear about his views on equality issues and that Ms. Forbes would need to defend her own views. He supported the legislation for gay marriage early on, although he was not present for the final vote.


Mr. Yousaf is regarded as a candidate who will continue the current political direction. During his campaign launch in Clydebank, which is on the outskirts of Glasgow, on Monday (February 20), he emphasized his extensive experience in government.



More about Humza Yousaf

Having held positions as justice secretary, transport minister, and international development minister, Mr. Yousaf was appointed as the first Muslim to the Scottish Government in 2012. If elected as First Minister, he would make history as Scotland's first leader from an ethnic minority background. His parents moved to the UK in the 1960s from Pakistan and Kenya respectively.

During his press conference on Monday morning, Mr. Yousaf shared that his grandfather had immigrated to Scotland from a small town in Pakistan in 1962 with very little knowledge of the English language.

Scanning Scotland’s NHS record

The effectiveness of Mr. Yousaf's leadership of Scotland's NHS has been under close examination, despite his decade of serving in high-level ministerial positions. He has received criticism for lengthy waiting times and for advising the public to "think twice" before dialing 999 in September 2021.

Mr. Yousaf began his political career as an office manager for Bashir Ahmad, the first MSP from a Muslim and Asian background in the SNP.

FAQs

1. Who is the longest-serving first minister of Scotland?
   Nicola Sturgeon
2. Who nominates the first minister in Scotland?
   Scottish Parliament