Scotland’s health minister, Humza Yousaf, 37, has been chosen as Nicola Sturgeon’s successor in the leadership of the Scottish National Party (SNP), so he will also take up the position of prime minister, it was announced on Monday.
Candidate with the most support from the party’s delegates and seen as a favourite, Yousaf was elected with 26,032 votes, beating Kate Forbes, who had 23,890 votes, and Ash Regan, eliminated in the first round by the number of votes according to the transfer model.
The winner was honored and pledged to continue working collectively.
Son of a Pakistani father and Kenyan mother, also of Asian descent, Humza Yousaf is the first Scottish leader of an ethnic minority and the first Muslim to lead a major political party in the United Kingdom.
Elected to the Scottish Regional Parliament in 2011, he took the oath in English and Urdu, which he repeated in 2016 wearing a ‘kilt’ (traditional Scottish skirt) and a sherwani coat to reflect the influence of both cultures.
His closeness to his predecessor made him the continuity candidate, especially in maintaining the parliamentary deal with the Scottish Greens.
Supporters emphasized communication skills and experience. Since 2012, Yousaf has held various positions in the Scottish Government, including Justice, Transport and Health.
However, Yousaf has also been criticized for the growing problems in Scotland’s health system and the controversial hate crimes law he introduced when he was Justice Minister.
Humza Yousaf vowed to continue fighting the UK government’s veto of a controversial gender reassignment law.
On the campaign for independence, he argued that it must be achieved through the defense of progressive values and that the SNP should speak more about the vision of independence than about the technical aspects in order to win over hesitant voters.
Nicola Sturgeon is expected to formally submit her resignation as prime minister to King Charles III in the coming hours.
On Tuesday, the new leader of the SNP will be voted on in the Holyrood Regional Assembly to be formally appointed Prime Minister and on Wednesday he will be sworn in at the Court of Session in Edinburgh as head of the Scottish Government.
Sturgeon, 52, unexpectedly announced his resignation in mid-February after eight years as party leader and head of the Scottish Home Board, citing the “physical and mental impact” he has had in recent years.
The internal elections in the SNP divided the party over Sturgeon’s political strategy and legacy, which had hitherto been popular with most Scots.
The SNP currently holds 64 of the 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament and governs in coalition with the much smaller Greens. It is also the third party with the most votes nationally, with 45 deputies.
However, it is losing members, whose numbers fell from more than 100,000 to about 70,000 last year.
The leadership election also lowered poll support for the SNP and the independence referendum, which is the party’s main ambition.
Scottish voters voted in a 2014 referendum to stay in the UK, but the SNP want a new vote because they disagree with ‘Brexit’.
However, the central government has refused to authorize a second referendum, and the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom has ruled that Scotland cannot hold one without London’s permission.
Source: DN
