Description
The Scottish health secretary has been in the tense leadership race for five weeks and has now beaten out his main rival, Kate Forbes, to replace Nicola Sturgeon. Scottish Health Secretary Humza Yousaf has been chosen to lead the SNP. Following a tense five-week contest against Ash Regan and Kate Forbes after Nicola Sturgeon announced she was stepping down, Yousaf discovered she had won shortly after 2pm on Monday.
SNP National Secretary Lorna Finn announced that voter turnout for the leadership election was 70%. For the first preferences in the STV system, Humza Yousaf got 24,336 (48 percent), Kate Forbes got 20,559 (40 percent) and Ash Regan got 5,599 (11 percent) of the votes.
Humza Yousaf replaces Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader
When the runner-up choices were distributed in the second round, Humza Yousaf took 26,032 (52%) and Kate Forbes took 23,890 (48%).
By winning, he became the first Muslim ruler of Scotland. Below, we take a look at his political career to date and his beliefs.
Yousaf is the son of immigrants who came to Glasgow in the 1960s.
Her father is from Pakistan while her mother was born into a South Asian family in Kenya.
He received a private education at Hutchesons' Grammar School in Glasgow and studied politics at the University of Glasgow.
Ash Regan, Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes were the final candidates
At a news conference in February, he said his late grandfather came to Scotland from a small Pakistani town in 1962 with barely a word of English.
"I cannot imagine in his wildest dreams that his grandson would ever run for Scotland's first minister," Yousaf added.
He said it "speaks to us as a nation that anyone, regardless of race, can run for the highest office in our country and not be judged by the color of their skin."
Scotland, he said, "should be proud that the grandson of an immigrant can aspire to become the next prime minister."
The new candidate for the leadership of the SNP exposed his plans on Tuesday
Before becoming the first Muslim to be appointed to Scottish Government in 2012, Mr Yousaf was bureau chief for Bashir Ahmad of the SNP, the first Asian Muslim MSP, and went on to work for other MSPs including Alex Salmond and Mrs. Sturgeon.
He became Minister for Transport in 2016 and was fined £300 for driving a friend's car without insurance.
He then became justice secretary in 2018 and introduced the Hate Crimes and Public Order Bill which criminalized "hate speech" about religion, sexual orientation, age, disability and transgender identities.
Yousaf also served as transport minister and international development minister, before becoming health secretary in 2021.
While working on the role, he was criticized for long wait times and for urging the public to "think twice" before calling 999 in September 2021.
Mr. Yousaf beat out Mr. Forbes to second place
Mr. Yousaf ran as a candidate for continuity.
Vowing to preserve the "winning formula" of the SNP's progressive values, he called on the party to stop being "obsessed" with the process. "If we build this coherent majority, then these political obstacles that are put in the way will disappear, they will dissipate," he said.
His promises include appointing a senior official to design an EU reintegration strategy, challenging Westminster over its blocking of gender reforms and reforming the SNP.
Mr Yousaf also promised more action on Scotland's drug-related deaths crisis and said he would run a series of workshops on the independence campaign, which would be available to all SNP members.
He has also joined those who criticize his rival, Ms Forbes, for her religious views against same-sex marriage.
However, it then came under intense scrutiny after questions were raised about why it lost the final vote on the issue in 2014.
A serving minister at the time, Mr. Yousaf claimed that he had an unavoidable meeting. But Salmond later gave an exclusive interview to Sky News alleging that Yousaf had asked to "skip" the vote due to pressure from religious groups, which he denied.
Humza Yousaf said he hopes to take advantage of the advice of his predecessor Nicola Sturgeon
In a video posted to social media at the launch of her campaign, she explained how the days since Ms Sturgeon's resignation had been an "emotional roller coaster".
"I do it because the highest position requires someone with experience and Nicola Sturgeon has given me some of the most difficult jobs in government," he explained.
He added that he believed in Scottish independence "with every fiber" of his being.
But he said he had some "concerns" about Ms Sturgeon's outgoing plan to use the next general election, likely to be called next year, as a de facto second referendum on the issue.
He said: "I am not as attached as the prime minister."
Asked by reporters when a second referendum might take place, he added: “I'm not going to put a timetable for that. I want independence tomorrow if we can have it, and that almost goes without saying.
sky news
PA wire
Reuters
In a video posted to social media at the launch of her campaign, Yousaf explained how the days following Nicola Sturgeon's resignation had been an "emotional roller coaster."
Access
