Humza Haroon Yousaf (born 7 Aprile 1985) is a Scots politeecian wha is the 6t First Meenister o Scotland an Heidsman o the Scots Naitional Pairty syne Mairch 2023, haein succeedit Nicola Sturgeon; afore this he wis the Scots Govrenment Cabinet Secretar for Health an Social Care[1] and is Scots Naitional Pairty Member o the Scots Pairlament for Glesga Pollok. Yousaf wis the first non-white an Muslim memmer o the Scots Cabinet. In 2011 he had bin the youngest memmer o the Scots Pairlament[2] when he was first electit at 26 years auld.[3]

Humza Yousaf

Humza Yousaf in 2021
First Meenister o Scotland
Assumed office
29 Mairch 2023
MonarchCharles III
Precedit biNicola Sturgeon
Heidsman o the Scots Naitional Pairty
Assumed office
27 Mairch 2023
Precedit biNicola Sturgeon
Cabinet Secretar for Health an Social Care
In office
20 Mey 2021 – 28 Mairch 2023
First MeenisterNicola Sturgeon
Precedit biJeane Freeman
Succeedit biMichael Matheson
Cabinet Secretar for Juistice
In office
26 Juin 2018 – 20 Mey 2021
First MeenisterNicola Sturgeon
Precedit biMichael Matheson
Succeedit biKeith Brown
Meenister for Transport an the Islands
In office
18 May 2016 – 26 June 2018
First MeenisterNicola Sturgeon
Precedit biDerek Mackay
Succeedit biPaul Wheelhouse
Meenister for Europe an Development
Freemit Affairs an Development (2012-2014)
In office
6 September 2012 – 18 Mey 2016
First MeenisterAlex Salmond
Nicola Sturgeon
Precedit biPoseetion established
Succeedit biAlasdair Allan
Pairlamentary Liaison Officer
tae the First Meenister o Scotland
In office
May 2011 – September 2012
First MeenisterAlex Salmond
Precedit biAileen Campbell
Succeedit biMark McDonald
Member o the Scots Pairlament
for Glesga Pollok
Assumed office
6 Mey 2016
Precedit biJohann Lamont
Majority6,482 (23.2%)
Member o the Scots Pairlament
for Glesga
In office
6 May 2011 – 6 May 2016
Personal details
Born (1985-04-07) 7 Aprile 1985 (age 39)
Glesga, Scotland
NaitionalityScots
Poleetical pairtyScots Naitional Pairty
Spoose(s)Nadia El-Nakla (m.2019) ; former wife Gail Lythgoe (m.2010), divorced
Alma materVarsity o Glesga
ProfessionCommonty wirker
ReligionIslam

Life eedit

Humza Haroon Yousaf hails frae Glesga an taek an M.A. in politics at Glesga varsity in 2007.[4]

His paurents wis faither Muzaffar Yousaf, frae Pakistan an emigrated tae Glesga in the 1960s, an mither Shaaista Bhutta, Sooth Asian forby, wis born in Kenyae. His schuil eddication wis at Hutchesons' Grammar School.[5] He wis raisin money fur Islam Relief charity an wirkit wi young fowk in the commonty, an gaun fur tae deliver food parcels tae the puir families an asylum seekers, as weel as workin in a commonty radio.[6] At Glesga varsity, Yousaf wis preses o the Glasgow University Muslim Students Association as weel as involved in student politics in the students' representative cooncil.

Career eedit

Yousaf becam the Pairliamentary assistant fur SNP MSPs incluidin Bashir Ahmad, Anne McLaughlin, Nicola Sturgeon and fur Alex Salmond, wha wis then the First Meenister. He had done a young leaders exchange programme wi the US State Department. He won the “Future Force of Politics” award at the Young Scottish Minority Ethnic Awards in 2009.[7]

Aifter bein electit as the youngest memmer o the Scots Pairliament in 2011, Yousaf becam the Meenister for Freemit Affairs an International Development (2012 to 2014), Meenister for Europe an Development (2014 to 2016),[8] then Meenister for Transport an the Islands (2016 to 2018).[9][10]

In 2018, Yousaf jynet Nicola Sturgeon's Cabinet[11] as Cabinet Secretar for Justice an he introduced the Hate Crime Bill, which met wi opposition.[12][13][14] He mad a speech in the Pairliament, aifter the murder o George Floyd in solidarity wi anti-racism, an listit the senior posts in Scotland held only bi white people, which led tae a social media backlash.[15]

Syne, he took ower frae Jeane Freeman as Health Sercretar, through the Covid-19 pandemic an led the vaccine programme an the pandemic repones in Scotland, wi the eftercomin pressure growin oan the NHS. [16][17][18][19]

First Meenister an Heidsman o the Scots Naitional Pairty eedit

Humza Yousaf became Heidsman o the SNP an First Meenister o Scotland in Mairch 2023, efter the surprise demission o Nicola Sturgeon; he defeatit Kate Forbes an Ash Regan in the contest tae replace her.[20] He is the first Muslim tae serve in baith roles.[21]

References eedit

  1. "Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care - gov.scot". www.gov.scot (in Inglis). Retrieved 17 Januar 2022.
  2. "Stars who have risen and fallen". HeraldScotland (in Inglis). Retrieved 24 Mairch 2022.
  3. "BBC News - Election 2011 - Scotland - Glasgow". BBC News (in Inglis). Retrieved 24 Mairch 2022.
  4. "University of Glasgow - Alumni - Our alumni - Life after Glasgow - Notable alumni". www.gla.ac.uk. Retrieved 24 Mairch 2022.
  5. "FPs Humza Yousaf and John Mason elected as MSPs | Hutchesons' Grammar School". web.archive.org. 25 October 2014. Archived frae the original on 25 October 2014. Retrieved 24 Mairch 2022.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  6. "Exclusive: SNP aims to make independent Scotland a world leader in aid". HeraldScotland (in Inglis). Retrieved 24 Mairch 2022.
  7. "Personal Information - MSPs: Scottish Parliament". web.archive.org. 5 Juin 2016. Archived frae the original on 5 Juin 2016. Retrieved 24 Mairch 2022.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  8. "Nicola Sturgeon announces new Scottish cabinet". BBC News (in Inglis). 21 November 2014. Retrieved 24 Mairch 2022.
  9. "New Islands minister appointed - The Orcadian Online". web.archive.org. 20 Mey 2016. Archived frae the original on 20 Mey 2016. Retrieved 24 Mairch 2022.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  10. "Ministerial appointments debate" (in Inglis). 5 September 2012. Retrieved 24 Mairch 2022.
  11. "Scottish Government Cabinet Reshuffle: Who's in and Who's out?". www.scotsman.com (in Inglis). Retrieved 24 Mairch 2022.
  12. Yousaf, Humza. "Humza Yousaf: Hate Crime Bill strikes right balance between respecting freedom of expression and tackling hate speech". Press and Journal (in Inglis). Retrieved 24 Mairch 2022.
  13. "Free speech row over new hate crime bill in Scotland". BBC News (in Inglis). 24 Julie 2020. Retrieved 24 Mairch 2022.
  14. "Controversial hate crime legislation to be changed". BBC News (in Inglis). 23 September 2020. Retrieved 24 Mairch 2022.
  15. Report, Official (24 Januar 2014). "Official Report". archive2021.parliament.scot. Retrieved 24 Mairch 2022.
  16. Boothman, John. "SNP 'in disarray' as WHO says Scotland has six in ten European Covid hotspots" (in Inglis). ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 24 Mairch 2022.
  17. "Health Secretary Humza Yousaf defends taking holiday as Covid cases rocket". www.scotsman.com (in Inglis). Retrieved 24 Mairch 2022.
  18. "Yousaf's advice to think twice before dialling 999 raises fundamental questions about NHS funding – Scotsman comment". www.scotsman.com (in Inglis). Retrieved 24 Mairch 2022.
  19. Editor, Kieran Andrews, Scottish Political. "Emergency delays 'led to 500 hospital deaths'" (in Inglis). ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 24 Mairch 2022.CS1 maint: extra text: authors leet (link)
  20. Brown, Faye (28 Mairch 2023). "Humza Yousaf elected by MSPs as Scotland's new first minister". Sky News (in Inglis). Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  21. Serhan, Yasmeen (5 October 2023). "5 Takeaways from TIME's Interview With Humza Yousaf". Time (in Inglis). Retrieved 11 October 2023.