Humza Yousaf is hitting the headlines amid political turmoil for the primary minister and chief of the SNP.
We have a look again at how the 39-year-old rose via the ranks and what could possibly be on the playing cards for him as rival events name a no-confidence vote within the chief.
Youth and background
Mr Yousaf – the MSP for Glasgow Pollok – was born within the metropolis on 7 April 1985 to a Pakistani father and Kenyan mom.
He was privately educated at Hutchesons’ Grammar Faculty in Glasgow and have become serious about politics throughout his youth.
He went on to check the subject on the College of Glasgow, graduating in 2007 with a MA.
Throughout his time at college, he joined the SNP. He was additionally president of the Muslim College students Affiliation and was concerned within the College students’ Consultant Council.
Mr Yousaf throughout a go to to Glasgow Gurdwara Guru Granth Sahib in March 2023
It was straight to Holyrood for Mr Yousaf, taking a job as a parliamentary assistant to the SNP’s Bashir Ahmad – Scotland’s first Muslim MSP.
After Mr Ahmad’s demise two years later, he carried on the function and labored as an assistant for quite a lot of MSPs, together with Nicola Sturgeon and the then-first minister Alex Salmond, solidifying his place within the get together.
Mr Yousaf has been married twice and has a baby and stepchild.
Life in politics
Mr Yousaf was elected as an MSP in 2011. At 26, he was the youngest MSP to enter Holyrood on the time.
When appointed minister for exterior affairs and worldwide improvement in 2012, he turned the primary non-white and Muslim minister in Holyrood.
Mr Yousaf after which first minister Alex Salmond previous to taking the oath of allegiance on the Scottish Parliament in 2011
Come 2016, when Ms Sturgeon was operating the present, Mr Yousaf was named transport minister.
Following a cupboard reshuffle in 2018, he was then promoted to justice secretary earlier than taking over the mantle of well being secretary in 2021.
Asserting his bid to run for first minister, Mr Yousaf stated: “You have to put your self ahead in case you assume you are the very best individual for the job. And I do. That is the highest job within the nation, and it wants any person who has expertise.”
Throughout his marketing campaign, Mr Yousaf pledged to “work tirelessly” to enhance the rights of girls and women.
He additionally vowed to provide kids from disadvantaged backgrounds free soccer membership memberships and would take a look at rising the Scottish little one cost – a £25 per week payout to the nation’s poorest households with youngsters underneath 16
Mr Yousaf throughout a go to to Who Cares? Scotland in Glasgow in March 2023
He stated: “The good thing about being first minister is you get to decide on what your priorities are.
“I’d need to see us proceed to extend that with a purpose to make it possible for it is serving to the poorest and essentially the most susceptible in our society.”
After a three-way race, he got here out on high, triumphing over Kate Forbes and Ash Regan, and turning into first minister in March 2023.
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In Full: SNP Management Debate
Learn extra:
Sturgeon and Murrell: The downfall of SNP energy couple in lower than 150 days
Humza Yousaf accused of ‘clapping like a seal’ at launch of delayed ferry with ‘painted on home windows’
Humza Yousaf skipped key vote on homosexual marriage as a consequence of ‘non secular stress’, claims Alex Salmond
Controversies
Whereas transport minister in 2016, Mr Yousaf was caught by police driving a pal’s automobile with out insurance coverage.
Mr Yousaf claimed it was an “sincere mistake”, including: “And an embarrassing one for me personally. Nonetheless, it underlines the significance of being correctly insured always.”
He was fined £300 and had six penalty factors added to his licence.
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Then management candidate Yousaf on SNP’s ‘personal aim’
As well being secretary, Mr Yousaf got here underneath fireplace over the state of Scotland’s NHS.
In early 2023, well being boards had been but to get well from an especially troublesome winter which noticed A&E ready instances attain file ranges. Though A&E efficiency improved because the begin of that 12 months, key remedy time targets had been once more missed in early March 2023.
Throughout one look at First Minister’s Questions, Scottish Tory chief Douglas Ross branded Mr Yousaf the “worst well being secretary since devolution, however it appears like he’s going to fail upwards”.
“He was a transport minister who drove with out [insurance],” Mr Ross stated. “He delayed the dualling of the A9. And he clapped like a seal when Nicola Sturgeon launched a ferry with painted-on home windows.”
Mr Ross was referring to Ms Sturgeon’s “launch” of the MV Glen Sannox in 2017, which was stated to have had painted on home windows on the time. The ferry is but to be put into service.
Mr Ross added: “In some other line of labor, Humza Yousaf would have been sacked, not promoted. Overlook being SNP chief, why is he even nonetheless in authorities.”
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‘Why did Yousaf miss homosexual marriage vote?’
Throughout campaigning, Alex Salmond advised Sky Information that Mr Yousaf skipped a key vote on homosexual marriage in 2014 as a consequence of “non secular stress”.
Mr Yousaf refuted the previous first minister’s declare, stating: “Effectively I’ve to say, my recollection could be very totally different to Alex Salmond’s recollection.”
Mr Yousaf claimed he was absent from the historic vote because of the case of a Scottish citizen on demise row in Pakistan.
However his largest problem now appears on the playing cards as he seeks to maintain his premiership amid upset and anger in Holyrood.
The primary minister introduced in April 2024 that he can be ending the power-sharing deal between the SNP and the Scottish Inexperienced Get together – made in 2021 when his get together got here in simply shy of an outright majority within the Holyrood election of the identical 12 months.
The Greens had been anticipated to carry a vote on the way forward for the settlement over anger on the SNP’s scrapping of key local weather targets and its response to the Cass report into gender companies for under-18s in England and Wales.
However Mr Yousaf pushed them earlier than they jumped, saying the deal had “served its goal”.
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‘I intend to struggle that vote’
He had hoped to maintain up an off-the-cuff settlement with the get together to maintain a minority SNP authorities ticking alongside, however as an alternative they joined forces with the Scottish Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat events in planning a no-confidence movement in opposition to him.
Scottish Labour chief Anas Sarwar then introduced his get together can be lodging a no-confidence movement within the authorities, which might in flip result in a basic election – although it isn’t clear they’ve the numbers to see a vote cross.
But regardless of the disquiet and insecurity from different MSPs, Mr Yousaf advised Sky Information he deliberate to “struggle” to remain on, including: “I’ve acquired each intention of profitable that vote of no confidence.”
