By then he was Secretary of Health and the first Muslim to lead one of the constituent nations of the United Kingdom.
By Le Figaro with AFP
Published on 03/28/2023 at 07:55, updated on 03/28/2023 at 08:41
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New Scottish Prime Minister Humza Yousaf, March 27, 2023. ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP
The brand-new leader of the Scottish independence movement, Humza Yousaf, is due to be formally elected Scotland’s First Minister by the local Parliament this Tuesday after pledging the previous day to continue the fight for independence.
Humza Yousaf, 37, was elected leader of the majority Scottish Independence Party (SNP) on Monday after an internal vote sparked by Nicola Sturgeon’s surprise resignation last month after eight years in office.
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“independence generation”
Former Health Secretary Humza Yousaf – a close friend of Nicola Sturgeon – will be formally elected Prime Minister by the local Parliament in Edinburgh on Tuesday, becoming the first Muslim to lead a major political party in the UK and one of the country’s constituent nations. Once elected Prime Minister by local parliament, he must be formally appointed to the post by royal warrant and take the oath on Wednesday before the Court of Session, Scotland’s highest court.
After his victory on Monday, Humza Yousaf pledged to be part of “the generation that will achieve Scottish independence”, stressing that “the people” of Scotland “need independence now more than ever”. In London, however, Downing Street countered that Scots wanted health officials “to focus on the issues that matter most to them: fighting inflation, dealing with the cost of living crisis and reducing waiting lists”.
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The Scottish Government is responsible for many issues such as education, health and justice. More broadly, the arrival of Humza Yousaf has potentially grave implications for the future of the UK, whose divisions between its four constituent nations (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) have been exacerbated by Brexit.
In the 2014 referendum, 55% of Scots voted against independence, but the debate was revived by leaving the European Union: 62% of Scots opposed it, with a break with London becoming a means of returning to the European Union. But support for independence, the heart of the left-wing SNP program, is currently stagnant and the departure of the charismatic Nicola Sturgeon casts doubt on the future. According to a March 13 YouGov poll, 46% of respondents support independence (up from 50% last month). Including the undecided, the proportion drops to 39%.
On that issue, Humza Yousaf pledged Monday to launch a popular movement for self-determination, despite the fact that the UK Supreme Court ruled last year that without the London Agreement the Scottish Government could not organize a new referendum to decide on one opposes voting.
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progressive positions
Humza Yousaf embodies continuity with progressive positions on social issues and a left-wing anchoring in the economy, which, for example, wants to raise taxes for the richest in Scotland’s 5.5 million inhabitants. He also supports the controversial Gender Reassignment Facilitation Bill, which was blocked by London and landed his predecessor in trouble. This law should allow the recognition of sex reassignment without medical advice and from the age of 16.
Immigrant grandson Humza Yousaf on Monday paid tribute to his paternal grandparents, who came from Pakistan 60 years ago. “It reminds us that we (…) should always celebrate the immigrants who contribute so much to our country,” he said in a thinly veiled jab at the UK government’s desire to tighten asylum conditions in the country.