Pakistan-origin Humza Yousaf becomes Scotland’s 1st Muslim leader, vows to revive independence

Humza Yousaf beat his competitors on Monday to become the head of the governing Scottish National Party (SNP).

The 37-year-old became the first Muslim leader of a major UK political party and also the first Muslim to lead a country in Western Europe. In his victory speech, Humza Yousaf said he will deliver Scotland’s independence.

“The people of Scotland need independence now, more than ever before and we will be the generation that delivers independence,” he was quoted as saying by Reuters in his victory speech. He also talked about his grandparents who arrived in Scotland from Pakistan in the 1960s, barely speaking any English, and said they would not have believed “in their wildest dreams” that their grandson would one day become first minister of Scotland.

“We should all take pride in the fact that today we have sent a clear message: that your colour of skin or, indeed, your faith, is not a barrier to leading the country that we all call home,” Yousaf said.

As Yousaf gave his victory speech and paid tribute to his grandparents, his wife and mother were captured brushing away tears, reported news agency AFP.

Yousaf said as Scotland’s leader, his focus will be on tackling the cost of living crisis, ending the divisions in the party, and making a renewed push for independence.

RACE FOR SCOTLAND’S NEW LEADER
Humza Yousaf beat Kate Forbes and Ash Regan to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader. He will take over as head of the semi-autonomous government once he wins an approval vote in the Scottish parliament.

The contest between the three candidates exposed deep divisions in the SNP over policy and a stalled independence campaign. The party’s unity broke down over arguments on how to achieve a second independence referendum and the best way to introduce social reforms such as transgender rights.

After winning the election, Yousaf said his own experience as an ethnic minority means he will fight to protect the rights of all minorities, including gay and transgender people.

Yousaf has a rough road ahead after taking over the SNP’s leadership. The party’s central policy is to end Scotland’s three-centuries-long union with England. His predecessor stepped down after the British government repeatedly blocked a route to a new vote on independence.

WHO IS HUMZA YOUSAF?

Yousaf is the son of first-generation immigrants. His father was born in Pakistan and his mother was born into a family of Punjabi descent in Kenya. He attended a private school in Glasgow and studied politics at Glasgow University.

He worked in a call centre before becoming an aide to Alex Salmond, former first minister of Scotland. He was elected to the Scottish Parliament as an additional member for the Glasgow region in 2011. After his win, Yousaf took his oath in English and Urdu.

The next year, he entered the Scottish cabinet, serving various roles, with the latest one being the country’s health secretary.

He married former SNP worker Gail Lythgoe in 2010, but they divorced seven years later. He married his second wife Nadia El-Nakla in 2019.