Tony McGuire
Guest Reporter
Former First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf has announced his intentions to step down as an MSP at the next Holyrood election.
The Glasgow Pollok MSP has sat on the Holyrood benches for 15 years, holding various high-profile ministerial jobs, such as Cabinet Secretary positions for Justice and Health, before being elected as SNP leader and First Minister in March 2023.
In a letter to his successor, John Swinney, Yousaf said the next Scottish election would be “the right time” to step away from his political life after 15 years on the Holyrood benches.
Yousaf wrote: “The next Scottish Parliament elections in 2026 will be the right time for me to move on, to provide an opportunity for the next generation of MSPs to step forward, and to explore where I can best make a contribution in the future, in helping to tackle some of the most pressing challenges our world faces.”
Seeing off competitors Kate Forbes and Ash Regan in the leadership race to replace Nicola Sturgeon in 2023, Yousaf’s appointment made him the first First Minister of colour and the first Muslim leader of a democratic nation, a fact that made TIME magazine’s front cover and their list of Next Generation Leaders.
Humza Yousaf became Scotland’s sixth First Minister on March 29, 2023, but his tenure only lasted until May the following year after breaking up the Bute House power-sharing agreement with the Scottish Greens left the SNP Government exposed with a minority Government.
At the same time as penning his letter of intent to John Swinney, Humza Yousaf made the announcement on new media site Zeteo, the website operated by progressive British-American broadcaster Mehdi Hasan, formerly of Al Jazeera, MSNBC and The Guardian.
On the subject of the collapse of the Bute House Agreement, Humza Yousaf insisted his decision to end the SNP’s power-sharing deal, the move which led to his resignation, was the correct decision.
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He told Hasan: “My successor is no longer encumbered with that deal, [he] can make decisions in policy that he wants to take forward in our country’s interest without having to negotiate and compromise with the Greens.
“They can do that on an issue-by-issue basis, which I think is the best way to do it.”
Despite holding the office of First Minister for little over 13 months, Humza Yousaf’s leadership was particularly eventful for a year in Scottish politics.
Within weeks of his taking office, police raided the home of his predecessor Nicola Sturgeon and her husband and former SNP Chief Executive Peter Murrell, acting on intelligence gleaned from the Operation Branchform investigation into missing party donations.
His Government fought Westminster’s decision to veto the Gender Recognition Reform bill and lost in the courts.
Later in the year, his parents-in-law were visiting family in Gaza when Hamas fighters entered Israel on October 7.
In the weeks that followed, his mother-in-law posted a series of distressing videos about the rapidly escalating danger in Gaza, before the family were eventually able to leave the country safely.
The hugely controversial Hate Crime Act, devised by Humza Yousaf during his time as Justice Secretary, came into force in February targeting “stirring up hatred” relating to race, gender, age, disability or religion and consolidated existing laws on crimes “aggravated by prejudice”.
Supporters of the law maintain that the legislation includes safeguards for civil liberties, but critics describe it as a draconian limitation on the rights of free speech.
Despite a chaotic tenure as First Minister, Humza Yousaf’s letter to John Swinney draws attention to his moments of pride during his 15 years in Government: agreeing to pardon miners who were convicted during the 1984 Miners’ strikes; greater protections for domestic abuse survivors; laying the groundwork for taking Scotrail back into public ownership; and the completion of the Queensferry Crossing over the Firth of Forth.
In his letter to the First Minister, he wrote: “When one chapter begins to close, you often spend time reflecting on your achievements, mistakes and even regrets, I have all three.”
Reacting to Humza Yousaf’s announcement on X, First Minister John Swinney said: “I am sorry to see [Humza Yousaf] stepping down [The Scottish Parliament].
“He has been a pioneer in Scottish politics. I value all he has contributed to [The Scottish Government] and [The SNP] and look forward to his continued involvement.
“I wish Humza, Nadia and their family much peace together.”
The next Scottish Election is due to be held by May 2026.
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