Yousaf supported Sturgeon's successful leadership bid in 2014 and after she was sworn in as first minister, he was subsequently appointed as Europe minister before being appointed Minister for Transport and the Islands in 2016. As part of a cabinet reshuffle of Sturgeon's second ministry in 2018, Yousaf was promoted to the cabinet as justice secretary. He introduced a controversial bill to parliament which ultimately became law as the Hate Crime and Public Order Act 2021.[2][3] In 2021, he was appointed health secretary during the later phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and was responsible for the NHS's recovery, as well as the mass roll-out of the vaccination programme which began under his predecessor. Following Sturgeon's resignation as leader of the SNP and as first minister, Yousaf won the 2023 SNP leadership election, defeating Kate Forbes with 52% to her 48% in the final stage.
Humza Haroon Yousaf was born in Rutherglen Maternity Hospital in Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire on 7 April 1985.[5][6][7] He is son of first-generationPakistani Punjabi Muslim immigrants: his father Mian Muzaffar Yousaf Arain was born in Mian Channu, Punjab, Pakistan, and emigrated from the city with his family in the 1960s, eventually working as an accountant.[8][9]
His paternal grandfather worked in the Singer sewing machine factory in Clydebank in the 1960s.[10] Yousaf's mother, Shaaista Bhutta, was born in Nairobi, Kenya, to a family of Pakistani-Punjabi descent.[11][10] Due to their non-African background, her family was regularly harassed and occasionally assaulted: following an incident where her mother was attacked with an axe, they emigrated to Scotland.[12]
He described the September 11 attacks as the "day that changed the world and for me" when he was 16 years old. Prior to the attack, Yousaf was close to two pupils whom he sat next to in his registration class, but after the attack in New York, he claims that they asked him questions such as, "Why do Muslims hate America?"[12]
From an early age, Yousaf was involved in community work, ranging from youth organisations to charity fundraising.[20] He was the volunteer media spokesperson for the charity Islamic Relief,[20] worked for community radio for twelve years and on a project which provided food packages to homeless people and asylum seekers in Glasgow.[21]
Yousaf joined the Scottish National Party (SNP) in 2005, while studying at Glasgow university. Speeches by then-party leader Alex Salmond and anti-war activist Rose Gentle speaking out against the Iraq War convinced him that independence would be the only way for Scotland to avoid going to war.[22] He started campaigning extensively for the SNP, including for the 2007 Scottish parliament election, which resulted in the first SNP government in Scotland and Yousaf's first job in the Scottish parliament.[12]
In 2006, Yousaf worked in an O2call centre,[23] before working as a parliamentary assistant for Bashir Ahmad, from Ahmad's election as Scotland's first Muslim MSP in 2007 until Ahmad's death two years later.[24] Ahmad was a personal influence. Yousaf then worked as parliamentary assistant for a few other MSPs including Anne McLaughlin, Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond, who was then First Minister.[25][26] Before his election to the Scottish Parliament, he worked in the SNP's headquarters as a communications officer.[23]
Yousaf signs Nicola Sturgeon's nomination for first minister, 19 November 2014
In October 2013, he outlined the SNP's plans to set out the United Nations target for overseas aid at 0.7% in an independent Scotland and accused the UK Government of going back on its promise in the 2010 coalition agreement to guarantee that level of spending.[39] Yousaf also outlined that an independent Scotland would "add a progressive voice to global issues promoting peace, equality and fairness" and added independence would be "achieved through a democratic, peaceful means without a single drop of blood being spilled and engaging with all the diverse communities that make up our rich tapestry in Scotland.".[40]
On 26 June 2018, Sturgeon reshuffled her cabinet. She promoted Yousaf to the Scottish Cabinet to serve as Cabinet Secretary for Justice, succeeding Michael Matheson.[43] In the year prior to his appointment (2017–18), 244,504 crimes were recorded by the police in Scotland; in the final year of his tenure (2020–21), the figure was 246,511.[44]
Hate Crime Bill
One of his flagship policies was the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill, which he promised would streamline existing legislation as well as add additional protections to minorities while maintaining rights to freedom of speech and freedom of expression.[45] The bill has been criticised by the Catholic Church, the National Secular Society as well as writers,[46] and in September 2020 it was amended to remove prosecution for cases of unintentionally stirring up hate, which could theoretically include libraries stocking contentious books.[47] Despite his initial promises, Yousaf in October 2020 said that the exception to the Public Order Act 1986 which allows people to use "otherwise illegal language" in their own homes should be abolished.[48]
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care (2021–2023)
Yousaf at the COP26 Climate Action for Health event, 2021
Yousaf entered office amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In June 2021 he said that ten children up to the age of nine had been admitted to Scottish hospitals in the previous week "because of COVID".[50] Professor Steve Turner, Scotland officer for the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, contradicted him and said that children’s wards were “not seeing a rise in cases with Covid”. He added that the children in question had been hospitalised for other reasons. Yousaf clarified his statement and apologised for "any undue alarm".[51]
In July, the World Health Organisation concluded that six out of Europe's ten virus hotspots were in Scotland.[52] Tayside topped the list with 1,002 cases per 100,000 head of population over the previous fortnight.[53] The Scottish Government was accused of being ‘missing in action’ after it emerged that First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Deputy First Minister John Swinney and Yousaf were all on holiday.[54] Yousaf said he had promised to take his stepdaughter to Harry Potter World, tweeting that: "Most important job I have is being a good father, step-father & husband to my wife and kids. In the last seven months they’ve had virtually no time from me."[55]
NHS waiting times
In September 2021, the average waiting time for an ambulance in Scotland soared to six hours and Yousaf urged the public to "think twice" before they called 999. Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane criticised the remark as “reckless messaging [that] could put lives at risk” and instead urged people to call an ambulance if they thought they needed one.[56] Following reports of elderly Scots dying whilst waiting for an ambulance to arrive,[57] Yousaf asked the Ministry of Defence for help and soldiers from the British Army were deployed to drive ambulances.[58] Audit Scotland concluded that 500 people died in Scotland in 2021 due to delayed access to emergency treatment.[59]
Yousaf launched his leadership campaign in Clydebank on 20 February.[67] He said he was not "wedded" with using the next UK general election as a de facto referendum on Scottish independence and that one of the issues would be the inability for 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds to vote.[68][69] Yousaf reaffirmed his commitment to defend the Scottish Parliament against the UK Government's Section 35 order, which aims to block the gender reform bill.[70] He added that he could not pretend the bill had not "caused some division" within his party and stated he was "keen to work with those who have got real concerns".[70]
As confirmed on 27 March 2023, Yousaf had won the leadership race, after being victorious in both rounds of voting. He won the first round with 48.2% of first-preference votes, ahead of Forbes who received 40.7%, and Regan who received 11.1%, thus eliminating Regan due to finishing last. He then also won the final round of voting with 52.1% of the vote compared to Forbes in second place with 47.9%.[73] Yousaf accepted the leadership at an event at Murrayfield Stadium where he promised to lead the party in the interest of all its members.[74]
Yousaf launches the fourth Building a New Scotland paper
In June 2023, Yousaf launched the fourth Building a New Scotland paper which focused on the constitution of an independent Scotland. Yousaf declared that there would be a written constitution for an independent Scotland, claiming that such a constitution would set a benchmark in which no future Scottish Government could fall short of as it would be a constitution enshrined into Scots law. Yousaf declared that the government had placed a commitment to a constitution that gave the population "the right to access a system of healthcare free at the point of need, as well as rules on land ownership and environmental provisions".[84] The previous three papers in the series were published by Yousaf's predecessor, Nicola Sturgeon.[85]
Opposition parties in Scotland criticised Yousaf and the Scottish Government for "focusing on the wrong priorities". A spokesman for the UK Government said "We want to work constructively with the Scottish government to tackle our shared challenges because that is what families and businesses in Scotland expect" and that "this is not the time to be talking about distracting constitutional change".[84]
On 27 July 2023, Yousaf launched the fifth paper in the Building a New Scotland series entitled Citizenship in an independent Scotland. The prospectus set out the Scottish Government's proposals for citizenship and passports in an independent Scotland, with the Scottish Government seeking to pursue an "inclusive" model similar to that in the Republic of Ireland. People born outside Scotland would automatically be entitled to Scottish citizenship under the plans if at least one of their parents were Scottish, and Scottish people resident in Scotland at the time of independence would be entitled to hold dual Scottish and British citizenship should be desire.[86] The paper commits and independent Scotland to remaining a member of the Common Travel Area, meaning that there would be no hard border between Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom on land or at sea.[86] Scottish citizens would have the right to a Scottish passport on the day of independence, however, British passports held by Scots after independence would remain valid until their date or expiry.[86]
Yousaf entered office amid the ongoing cost of living crisis.[87] He supports the introduction of the deposit return scheme, but not in its current form, suggesting it should exclude small businesses.[88] He has emphasised the need for a wellbeing economy and has proposed introducing a new wealth tax in order to raise money for more welfare benefits.[89][90]
Deposit Return Scheme
Yousaf accused the UK Government of placing the future of the Scottish Government's Deposit Return Scheme "in grave danger" in June 2023.[91] His comments came following a UK Government warning that it may block the inclusion of glass in the recycling scheme, and that policy surrounding deposit return schemes should be "consistent UK wide".[92] The intervention from the UK Government in an area of Scottish Government control sparked further consistutional tensions between Holyrood and Westminster, with Yousaf stating that the intervention is a "major erosion of the devolution settlement".[91]
Yousaf at a cabinet meeting in March 2023
In early June 2023, Yousaf wrote to UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak urging him to revoke the decision regarding the removal of glass from the deposit return scheme by Monday 5 June. In the letter, Yousaf claimed that "the UK Government’s demands, including the removal of glass from DRS, would impact the environment, detrimentally affect businesses based in Scotland, and threaten the viability of the scheme".[93]
Drugs policy
During the early days of his tenure as First Minister, Scotland's drugs death had fallen to its lowest levels in five years, however, it still had a higher drug death rate than the other countries of the United Kingdom and other countries in Europe.[94] As First Minister, Yousaf has advocated that the Scottish Government supports decriminalising drugs for personal use.[94] The Scottish Government has stated that they aim to provide 1,000 residential rehabilitation beds a year from 2026, prioritising spending more than £100 million on improving access to drug rehabilitation services.[94]
Yousaf has argued that "more radical approaches are needed to tackle drug deaths and addiction" in Scotland on the backdrop of high levels of drug related deaths, despite a decline.[95] Yousaf urged the UK Government to examine the evidence surrounding drug rehabilitation rooms and to introduce such a facility in Glasgow, an area of Scotland's with considerably high drug related deaths and incidents.[95] However, the Home Office has repeatedly rejected calls that would see sites established where users can take drugs under the supervision of medical professionals. Despite a report published by the Westminster Home Affairs Committee that recommended the establishment of a pilot drug consumption room in Glasgow, the Home Office again rejected calls for such a pilot scheme to be commissioned, leading to intervention from the First Minister who urged the UK Government to look at the evidence highlighted in the Home Affairs Committee report, and if calls were consistently rejected, then powers for the creation of drug rehabilitation rooms should be devolved to the Scottish Parliament.[95]
Education policy
Yousaf with a group of primary school children at the launch of the Reading Schools initiative, August 2023
Yousaf was challenged to review the long running Scottish Government policy of free university tuition, with University of Edinburgh vice-chancellor Peter Mathieson saying that allowing wealthier families to pay was "worthy of calm consideration". Yousaf disputed calls for a review of the policy, saying that he was "very proud" of the SNP's long opposition to any fees for education in Scotland.[96] He highlighted his support and commitment to the continuation of free tuition in Scotland by saying he was "absolutely committed to ensuring we have free education" and that "university education should be on the ability to learn not the ability to pay".[96]
Yousaf was largely criticised for saying he would stop the roll out of free school meals in Scotland in favour of a more targeted approach. Yousaf was urged to reconsider this decision, with opponents arguing that the stop of the roll out would by a "betrayal" of children in Scotland.[97] Yousaf used his own daughter as an example, and argued as to whether his daughter should be entitled to free school meals considering Yousaf's high salary as First Minister of Scotland.[97] Opponents in the Scottish Parliament accused Yousaf of "flip flopping" over free school meals policy.[98] After mounting pressure on the backdrop of his statement, Yousaf pledged his support and commitment to free school meals and reaffirmed that the policy of free school meals in Scotland would not be ending and confirmed the Scottish Government's plans to introduce free school meals entitlement in secondary school, however, Yousaf did not provide a timescale for this delivery.[99]
In August 2023, Yousaf launched the Reading Schools project, a replacement initiative of the First Minister's Reading Challenge which was established under Yousaf's predecessor Nicola Sturgeon. 371 schools across Scotland have become accredited as "reading schools", with the hope of an additional 511 schools looking to have joined the project in the future. This is "an accreditation programme for schools that are committing to building a reading culture for their learners and communities".[100] Yousaf has claimed that it is the intention of the Scottish Government to "see every school in Scotland become part of the scheme in the next three to five years" to promote and improve reading in Scottish schools.[101]
Yousaf entered office as First Minister on the backdrop of the Supreme Court ruling that the Scottish Government does not have the power to legislate for another referendum on Scottish independence.[102] His predecessor, Nicola Sturgeon, had, prior to leaving office, published a series of Scottish Government papers on Scottish independence, titled Building a New Scotland.[103]
Yousaf's first international visit as First Minister was to Brussels in June 2023,[105] which, during a three day visit, sought to set out his "vision for a meaningful and mutually beneficial relationship" between Scotland and the European Union.[106] Yousaf declared his desire to set up a permanent Scottish Government envoy to the European Union in Brussels to "aid the cause of independence".[107][106] Yousaf used the visit to Brussels to reiterate the SNP's position on the European Union and future membership should Scotland become independent, citing that a majority of Scottish voters voted to remain a member of the European Union in the 2016 referendum on UK membership of the European Union. However, the Spanish Government has "professed" opposition to future Scottish membership of the European Union, citing fears that a future independent Scotland would lead to advancements in Catalonia's attempts for independence from Spain. Yousaf said that the Spanish Government made it "abundantly clear" and that he "agrees with the Spanish Government - that the situation in Scotland and Catalonia are different".[108]
Scotland–Pakistan relations
Yousaf and Prime Minister of PakistanShehbaz Sharif met in May 2023 in London, with both Yousaf and Sharif declaring a commitment to "further strengthen historic ties between Pakistan and Scotland, including in the domains of trade, investment, education, water management, wind & solar technology and people to people links".[109]
During the SNP leadership bid, Yousaf was highly criticised and dubbed as "embarrassing" by asking "where are all the men?" when meeting a group of Ukrainian women.[110] The group of women explained to Yousaf that their husbands were in Ukraine continuing to engage in resistance to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Yousaf told the BBC that there were in fact Ukrainian men in the building and that the group of women he had addressed the question to did not appear to take offence.[110]Alex Cole-Hamilton of the Scottish Liberal Democrats described the blunder as "clumsy, insensitive and displays a real ignorance of international affairs" from the "man who is about to lead Scotland".[110]
In August 2023, Yousaf attended a wreath laying ceremony in Edinburgh to commemorate Ukraine's independence day. During the event, Yousaf reaffirmed Scotland's support towards Ukraine and stated that Scotland "stands in absolute solidarity with Ukraine”. He also highlighted that Scotland had welcomed more than 25,000 Ukrainian people since the Russian invasion in February 2022.[111] He said that it was important for countries in Europe and around the world to continue to pledge their support for Ukraine and assist the Ukrainian efforts in any way possible, and that following the war, that those countries help Ukraine to rebuild.[111] Yousaf thanked the Ukrainians who had settled in Scotland for their contributions to Scotland and said that Scotland would be their home for as long as possibly needed.[111]
He called for a ceasefire in the Israel–Hamas war and criticized Israel's blockade and bombing of the Gaza Strip that killed thousands of Palestinian civilians, saying that "Israel has a right to protect itself from terror, but that cannot be at the price of innocent men, women and children who have nothing to do with those attacks. That collective punishment has to be condemned."[113][114] On 1 November 2023, he condemned Israel for the "blatant disregard for human life" after airstrikes on the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza.[115]
He called on Home Secretary Suella Braverman to resign after she branded pro-Palestinian protesters "hate marchers" and far-right counter-protesters subsequently clashed with police in London.[116] Yousaf accused her of "fanning the flames of division".[117]
Programme for government
In September 2023, Yousaf launched his first Programme for Government. The programme for government focuses on reducing poverty, delivering economic growth, tackle climate change and provide high quality public services.[118]
Political positions
Yousaf in 2018
Yousaf has been described as socially progressive.[119][64][120] He is a follower of his predecessor, Nicola Sturgeon, and is in favour of continuing her socially progressive policies. This formed a major part of his leadership election campaign in March 2023, and he was successfully elected as Leader of the Scottish National Party.[121][122] He supports Scottish republicanism, stating: "I believe we should be citizens first, not subjects." He attended the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey in London on 6 May 2023.[123]
As a member of the SNP, a pro-Scottish independence party, Yousaf voted "Yes" in the 2014 independence referendum.[124] He has supported the idea for holding a second referendum, often informally described as "indyref2".[125] Yousaf has raised concerns over using the next UK general election as a de facto referendum as it would not allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote.[126] He also believes another referendum should only be held if there is clear public support, stating "It isn't good enough to have polls that put support for independence at 50 per cent or 51%."[127][128]
In 2020, Yousaf expressed support for increasing the racial diversity among top government positions in Scotland. He stated "for 99% of the meetings I go to, I'm the only non-White person in the room ... . Every chair of every public body is White. That is not good enough."[129] Yousaf said in 2023 that he was "firmly committed to equality for everyone" and has vocally supported same-sex marriage and gender reforms for trans people.[130] In 2014, he was absent for the final vote of the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 due to a ministerial engagement, although he voted in favour of the bill in earlier stages.[131] He also voted in favour of the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill.[132] Additionally, Yousaf has vowed to secure the rights of LGBT community in a written constitution if Scotland gains independence.[133]
On 24 June 2023, at an event at the Caird Hall in Dundee, Yousaf restated the SNP's intention of using the next general election as a de facto referendum to demand Scottish independence.[134] In October 2023 he announced that this would take the form of interpreting the SNP winning a majority of UK parliamentary seats in Scotland as a vote for independence.[135]
Yousaf's family at the Court of Session in Edinburgh, 2023 (From left to right; his step-daughter, himself, his wife, Nadia, and mother Shaaista)
Yousaf is a strong advocate of LGBT rights.[140] On the topic of marriage equality and homosexual sex he commented: "I believe that people's marriage, if they are gay, and they are married, that their marriage is no more inferior, or worth less, than my marriage as a heterosexual individual. So no, I don't subscribe to that view (that gay sex is a sin)."[141] Amid controversy over Kate Forbes' religious views, Yousaf, a practising Muslim, said that he does not "legislate on the basis of [his] faith".[64]
In November 2016, Yousaf was fined £300 and had six penalty points added to his driving licence, after being caught by police driving a friend's car without being insured to drive it. Yousaf accepted full responsibility, saying: "I totally accept the decision. I paid the fine and told my insurers about the points. This was an honest mistake, and the result of my personal circumstances during my separation."[145]
He and his second wife made a complaint of discrimination against a Dundee children's nursery that did not offer a place to their daughter in 2021. The complaint was upheld by the Care Inspectorate who found that the nursery "did not promote fairness, equality and respect" in terms of its admission policy.[146][147] The legal action was subsequently terminated by Yousaf and Nadia.[148]
On 9 October 2023, Yousaf announced that his wife's parents were "stuck" in the Gaza Strip following the Israel–Hamas war.[149] On 5 November, they were able to return to Scotland.[150]
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