Last week, Scottish National Party leader and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced her intention to step back from politics and leadership. Her impending departure leaves a vacuum in Scottish politics – Sturgeon has been Scotland’s longest serving first minister (in power since 2014) and has had to navigate through some of the most testing times in the country’s history.
A week after the announcement, three main candidates have emerged to replace Sturgeon: Kate Forbes, a devout Christian and the country’s current Finance Secretary, Humza Yousaf, the Health Secretary and Sturgeon’s favoured choice, and Ash Regan, a younger and lesser known Member of Scottish Parliament. While Forbes was the front-runner when she announced her candidacy on Monday, her stance on gay marriage has since tanked her ratings, with bookmakers now betting on Yousaf.
If elected as SNP leader and First Minister, Humza Yousaf will make history as Scotland’s first Muslim and South Asian origin first minister.
Early days
Yousaf was born on April 7, 1985 in Glasgow, Scotland. His grandfather moved to Scotland in 1962 from Mian Channu in Punjab, Pakistan, without knowing a word of English. His grandfather “couldn’t have imagined, not in his wildest dreams, that his grandson would be running to be first minister of Scotland,” he said. Yousaf’s mother, also of South Asian descent, emigrated to Scotland from Kenya.
Yousaf showed interest in public service from an early age: he used to work and fundraise for various charities including Islamic Relief UK. He went to the University of Glasgow to study Politics. While at the university, Yousaf was a prominent figure in student politics and the President of Glasgow University Muslim Students Association. He graduated with an MA in 2007.
Meteoric rise in Scottish politics
Yousaf first entered the world of politics in 2007, as a parliamentary assistant to MSP Bashir Ahmad. After working as an assistant to Ahmad and a few other…
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