In Scotland the successor to Nicola Sturgeon has been chosen: Humza Yousaf is to become the new head of government. As the governing party SNP announced on Monday, the members elected the regional health minister as the new party leader. As the strongest force in the regional parliament, the Scottish National Party (SNP) is entitled to the post of “First Minister”.
The 37-year-old is considered a close confidant of Sturgeon and is likely to continue on her course. “I feel like the luckiest man in the world,” Yousaf said in Edinburgh. Being allowed to rule his country as “First Minister” will be the greatest honor of his life. He wants to be a head of government for all Scots.
With Yousaf, for the first time a Muslim has taken the lead in the northernmost part of Britain with a population of around 5.5 million. The SNP wants independence from Great Britain.
Although comparatively young, the political scientist has already gained a lot of government experience. After initially serving as State Secretary for many years, he became Minister of Justice in 2018. In 2021, Yousaf moved to the Ministry of Health. Critics blame him for the ailing state of the health service.
In the race to succeed Sturgeon, Yousaf prevailed against Treasury Secretary Kate Forbes (32) and ex-cabinet member Ash Regan (49). He is to be elected Prime Minister by the regional parliament in Edinburgh this Tuesday.
On February 15, Sturgeon surprisingly announced her resignation as “First Minister” and head of the SNP. The 52-year-old was the first woman to hold the highest government office in the northernmost part of Britain. She is seen as the driving force behind pro-independence supporters from the UK.
With Sturgeon’s retirement comes the question of the future of the independence movement. Yousaf has announced that it will continue to push ahead with a detachment. However, the way to get there is unclear: According to a decision by the highest British court, a new referendum is only possible with the consent of the central government in London. But she strictly rejects such a step. In polls, support for independence fell after Sturgeon’s retirement.
A liberal gender law that Sturgeon pushed through against resistance in his own ranks could also become a stumbling block for Yousaf. It is planned that, among other things, the obligation for a medical report as a prerequisite for a change in the gender entry will no longer apply. The minimum age for an application has been reduced from 18 to 16 years. Trans people are people who do not identify with the gender they were assigned at birth. The British government blocked the project. Yousaf has promised to take legal action against London’s veto.
