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Humza Yousaf has officially tossed his hat into the ring to take on the role of Prime Minister of Scotland.
The leadership campaign kicked off last week when Nicola Sturgeon announced his intention to resign at a shocking press conference.
Treasury Secretary Kate Forbes and former Community Safety Minister Ash Regan have also confirmed they will be in the race for the top spot.
But who is Mr. Yousaf and what does he believe? Here’s everything you need to know.
Who is Humza Yousaf?
Born and raised in Glasgow, Yousuf, 37, was elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2011 at the age of 26. He is currently Secretary of Health for Scotland and previously served as Minister of Transport and Secretary of Attorney.
Born and raised in Glasgow, he graduated from the University of Glasgow with an MA in Political Science in 2007.
His grandfather immigrated to Scotland in 1962 and got his first job at the Clydebank Singer sewing machine factory. Mr. Yousaf chose this town as a place of leadership.
Yousaf said in his speech that his grandfather “never dreamed that his grandson would become prime minister of Scotland”.
Yousuf, once considered a likely successor to Sturgeon, has seen his popularity decline during his tenure as health secretary.
Sturgeon has faced calls to resign over record A&E wait times on Scotland’s NHS, but last year he received “full support”. claimed to be
It doesn’t matter who was in charge of the medical services at this particular time in the middle of the pandemic. They would have faced exactly the same challenges. That’s why we see them in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. ‘Yousef told his STV News.
“But let’s look at how we’ve done things differently in the way we’ve responded to Covid. We were at one point one of the world’s most successful vaccine booster campaigns and programs. We are the only country in the UK to have avoided strikes and industrial activity by nurses and ambulance drivers – not by chance, but thanks to our relationships with trade unions.
“And we continue to maintain a top performing A&E across the UK.”
In his previous role as Minister of Justice, he faced backlash against the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill, which was attacked as stifling free speech.
Mr. Youssef is married and has two children.
what did he say about the problem?
He was a key ally of Nicola Sturgeon and supported her efforts to reform gender perceptions in Scotland, but said at the launch event that the 2024 election would be treated as a “de facto” referendum on independence. I questioned her policy.
The “de facto” plan, which Sturgeon outlined before announcing his decision to resign last week, would be to run an SNP campaign on the single issue of independence in next year’s Westminster elections, followed by a victory of over 50.1%. would have been aimed at vote.
The Prime Minister acknowledged that an SNP meeting on the issue was imminent and was subsequently postponed, but was one of the reasons for his decision to resign.
Asked about his plans, he said: I am not a firm believer in using the general election as a de facto referendum.
“But what I’m trying to say is that we have to stop talking about process and start talking about policy, because if independence becomes the defining will of the Scottish people, those political obstacles will be because it will be gone.”
Yousaf said it was “fair” for an SNP member to want to know his preferred method of securing a referendum, adding: I’m not going to tell them that this is the way I want it and you have to accept it. ”
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In a speech outlining his bid for leadership at Clydebank Town Hall, the MSP paid tribute to Mrs Sturgeon, but said its attempt to win independence had “got bogged down in the quagmire of the process.”
he said: They want to define independence as a matter of process. We need to start talking about policy. We need to get back to basics and remind people why they need independence.
“Polls with 50% or 51% support for independence are not enough. To get independence, we need to build grassroots support, so I assert that independence has become the firm will of the people of Scotland.” can.”
Yousaf also said he supported the draft Gender Recognition Bill and would challenge the UK government’s veto if he became Prime Minister.
But he was more outspoken about the issue of Isla Bryson, who was convicted of rape while a man before declaring himself as a woman. .
Youssef said Bryson was “deceitful and deceitful” [who is] I’m just pretending to be trans to make their lives easier. ”
“I think it should,” he said. “If the UK government puts out an Article 35 order first, I think they will do it for every bill they disagree with.”
He also supports bans on same-sex marriage, buffer zones for abortion clinics, and proselytizing practices.
