Humza Yousaf becomes first British Pakistani to lead Scotland as first minister
37 years old Humza won 52% votes of SNP members and elected its new leader
Scottish National
party (SNP) elected British Pakistani Humza Yousaf as the new leader on Monday.
The 37-year-old practicing Muslim will succeed Nicola Sturgeon as leader of the
governing Scottish National Party (SNP) and, subject to a vote in the Scottish
parliament, take over as head of the semi-autonomous government on Wednesday,
March 29.
Yousaf won
24,336 of the votes of the SNP's members in the first round, while his main
rival Kate Forbes 32, Scotland's finance minister, came second with 20,559
votes. Ash Regan, who quit the government because of her opposition to proposed
changes to gender recognition, was third with 5,599 votes.
He won the
leadership race after a bitterly fought contest that exposed deep divisions in
his party over policy and a stalled independence campaign. Setting out his
goals, Yousaf said he would concentrate on tackling the cost of living crisis
and make a renewed push for independence.
"The
people of Scotland need independence now more than ever before, and we will be
the generation that delivers it," he said in Edinburgh after the result.
Yousaf's
victory was confirmed at the capital's Murrayfield rugby ground after a
six-week campaign where the three candidates spent much of the contest criticizing
each other's record in a series of personal attacks.
The SNP's
unity, which had been one of its strengths, broke down over arguments about how
to achieve a second independence referendum and the best way to introduce social
reforms such as transgender rights.
Yousaf has
spoken of the need to focus on building the case for independence and achieving
consistent support for the movement, adding that he was open minded on which
process to pursue once that level of support was achieved.
Yousaf
pointed to his own background - born in Glasgow, with a father from Pakistan
and mother from Kenya - and views as examples of the inclusive, socially
liberal and multi-ethnic Scotland that the SNP has promoted.
Born in
Glasgow, the 37-year-old has a degree in politics from the University of
Glasgow. After graduating he worked as an aide to a Member of the Scottish
Parliament (MSP) before being elected an MSP himself in 2011.
His father
is originally from Pakistan and came to Scotland in the 1960s from a small city
of Mian Channu in Khanewal district, while his mother was born in Kenya to a
family of South Asian descent. He has a child with his second wife and also a
step-daughter.
Yousaf was
first appointed a junior minister in 2012, at the time the youngest person and
first ethnic minority to be appointed to the Scottish government. He joined the
cabinet in 2018 as Secretary for Justice and became health minister in May
2021.
Khalid Bhatti
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