EDINBURGH: Humza Yousaf, of Pakistani descent, won the election to lead Scotland on Monday. He is the youngest candidate and the first one from a minority ethnic group. After Nicola Sturgeon’s lengthy leadership, Yousaf will be tasked with rejuvenating the flagging independence campaign.
Following a contentious leadership contest that was started by Sturgeon’s abrupt departure announcement last month, Humza Yousaf was declared the winner with 52 percent of the preferentially ranked votes of SNP members.
As the first Muslim and member of an ethnic minority to lead a large UK political party, he will take the oath of office on Wednesday.
He assumed office a few months after Rishi Sunak, the youngest UK prime minister in modern times, entered Downing Street at the age of 42, making him Scotland’s youngest leader as well.
The 37-year-old made a commitment to uphold the SNP’s core position on independence for Scotland, which Sturgeon has promoted ever since the group lost a 2014 referendum by a 10-point margin.
Yousaf’s winning speech included the line, “The people of Scotland need independence now, more than ever before, and we will be the generation that delivers independence for Scotland.”
He stated that safeguarding Scots from Britain’s cost-of-living problems and revamping public services were his “immediate priorities.”
Whatever your party affiliation, I would endeavour to lead Scotland and the interests of all of our citizens, Yousaf declared, adding that he would seek to cooperate “constructivly” with the UK’s Conservative government.
Civic movement?
Once party voters’ second votes were counted, Yousaf, who served as health minister in Sturgeon’s cabinet, narrowly defeated finance minister Kate Forbes to become SNP leader.
Former cabinet minister Ash Regan came in far behind second.
According to polling, 45% of Scots are currently in favour of Scotland leaving the United Kingdom, a decision that was rejected by 55% of Scots in a vote in 2014.
Yousaf claimed that during the campaign, too much time had been spent highlighting the shortcomings of the UK administration in London and insufficient time had been spent developing a vision for an independent Scotland.
He has stated that the campaign will be led by a civic movement.
Given that a UK general election is anticipated within the next 18 months, he faces the difficulty of gaining support from the larger Scottish electorate.
Only 22% of voters favoured Yousaf, according to Ipsos polls, falling short of Forbes’ 27% approval rating.