Humza Yousaf, until now regional Minister of Health, was elected this Monday as the new leader of the independent Scottish National Party (SNP) and will therefore become the Nicola Sturgeon’s successor as Chief Executive of Scotland.
Yousaf, who ran as the continuity candidate to uphold Sturgeon’s progressive line, was made with the majority support of the more than 70,000 members of the SNP, who voted in a primary election for more than two weeks.
With a 70% stake, Yousaf obtained 48% of the votes as the first option, ahead of his main rival, the regional Minister of Economy, Kate Forbes, who obtained 40% and the third, Ash Regan, with 11%.
Due to the election system in the SNP, the second-choice votes that had gone to Regan were later added to the two candidates with the most support, resulting in a narrow 52% to 48% for Yousaf against Forbes.
If he receives the support of the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday, Yousaf, 37, a second-generation immigrant, he will become the sixth chief minister of Scotland, after a primary election marked by tension between the candidates.
In his first speech as the new head of the SNP, he stressed above all the need to unite the party, which is facing a turning point after more than eight years of Sturgeon’s charismatic leadership and is full of doubts about the path to independence.
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“In the last five weeks, we have been able to be competitors, but now we are one team, the generation that will win independence for Scotland,” Yousaf said at the event, held at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium.
The new SNP leader pledged to govern “in the interest of all Scots, regardless of their political preferences”, with the “immediate priority of protecting every citizen from the cost of living crisis”.
Now we are one team, the generation that will win independence for Scotland
In his opinion, Scotland “needs independence now more than ever”, something that will only be achieved if the independentistas defend their arguments “door to door”.
As the first Muslim Scottish chief executive, Yousaf was congratulated because “the color of skin nor religion shall be an obstacle” to governing Scotland andin the presence of his Kenyan mother and Pakistani father, sent a resounding message: “We will celebrate the immigrants who contribute so much to this country.”
The Holyrood Scottish Parliament, where the SNP governs in coalition with the Greens, must vote this Tuesday on Yousaf, who, if trusted, will be sworn in before the Court of Sessions in Edinburgh on Wednesday.
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Who is Humza Yousaf?
Humza Yousaf is a second generation immigrant. A native of Glasgow, of a Kenyan mother and a Pakistani father -both arrived in the United Kingdom in 1960-, at 37 years old Humza Yousaf takes over from Sturgeon for the highest political office in Scotland.
Until now Scottish Health Minister, Yousaf is seen as a progressive politician who has beaten the other two applicants, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan, for the position of Scottish chief executive.
In a center-left formation “Yousaf will lead and inspire people across the nation to vote for independence,” his campaign manager and regional culture minister, Neil Gray, told Efe.
An admirer of Sturgeon’s work during his more than eight years in office, Yousaf is committed to pursuing his social policy that has reaped so many successes for training, with, for example, financial aid to recent parents to facilitate their return to the labor market.
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Despite the incessant work at the head of Health in the midst of the post-pandemic, “at every moment he can, he puts his family first, his two daughters and wife,” because “he is a family man,” his communication director told Efe, Jack Middleton.
His daughters are politically motivated as he “wants to give every child in Scotland the same opportunities” as they have, Middleton said.
“He wants to build a Scotland that is fair and progressive, where every child can grow up and have the best chances in life,” he concluded.
Despite everything, her management at the head of the Health portfolio has been widely criticized by her opponents and the opposition, who can make her the center of their attacks.62% disapprove of his management of the emergency medical service and 40% of the population does not see him as “competent”, according to a YouGov house survey.
Scotland needs independence now more than ever.
Like his greatest rival, Kate Forbes -follower of an evangelical church-, Yousaf is marked by his deep religious convictions and in these last days of the campaign he began his fast for Ramadan.
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“The difference between them is that for him (faith) is not a barrier to creating that progressive Scotland,” Middleton said.
“Humza doesn’t care about sexual orientation, gender recognition, skin color…your rights will not only be tolerated, or increased, (but) celebrated,” he added.
These convictions “reflect the progressive values of 21st century Scotland”, in the opinion of the regional Constitution Minister, Angus Robertson, a relevant leader of the SNP, who considers him “a team player”.
Yousaf is described by his campaign manager as a “strong and experienced leader”, capable of “providing stability and continuing justice, respect and equality at the heart of the Government, as well as uniting the party”.
His talent for this lies in his “people skills” to involve everyone in cooperative leadership, where in the regional assemblies “each member has their say on the future of the formation and how to achieve independence,” Middleton explained.
Self-determination needs “someone to build bridges” and to maintain “the pro-independence parliamentary majority” to build a “consistent majority” in the face of London’s refusal, he says.
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*With Efe
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