EDINBURGH: Humza Yousaf won the race to become Scotland’s new leader on Monday, ahead of the youngest and most minority ethnic group to revive a weak independence movement after Nicola Sturgeon’s long rule. is accused of
Yousaf emerged victorious with 52 percent of Scottish National Party (SNP) members’ preferred ranking votes, following a divisive leadership battle that erupted following Sturgeon’s sudden resignation last month.
He is due to be sworn in as the first minister on Wednesday, the first ethnic minority leader of a devolved government and the first Muslim to lead a major UK party. He is also Scotland’s youngest leader, taking over months after Rishi Singh became Britain’s youngest prime minister in modern times when he entered Downing Street at the age of 42.
The 37-year-old vowed to continue the SNP’s central policy – Scotland for independence – which Sturgeon has championed since the party lost a 2014 referendum on the issue by 10 points. .
“The people of Scotland need independence now, more than ever, and we will be the generation that gives Scotland independence,” Yousaf said in his victory speech. He added that his “immediate priority” was to save Scots from Britain’s inflation crisis and to reform public services. “I will lead in the interests of Scotland and all our citizens, whatever your political allegiance,” Yousaf insisted, noting that he would remain “constructively” with Britain’s Conservative government.
Yousaf, who was health minister in Sturgeon’s cabinet, edged out finance minister Kate Forbes to become SNP leader once the other preferences of party voters added to his stature. Ash Regan, a former cabinet minister, finished third.
About 45 percent of Scots currently favor Scotland leaving the United Kingdom, after 55 percent of Scots rejected such a move in a 2014 vote, polls show.
During the campaign, Yousaf said too much time had been spent pointing out the UK government’s failings in London and not enough on creating a vision for an independent Scotland. He has promised a citizen movement to run the campaign. He faces the challenge of winning over the wider Scottish electorate, with a UK general election expected within the next 18 months.
According to Ipsos polling, Yousaf received a favorable opinion among just 22 percent of voters, trailing Forbes at 27 percent. Forbes, who won 48 percent of the vote in the contest, came into the spotlight for her conservative views as a member of the Free Church of Scotland, which opposes same-sex marriage and abortion. But Yousaf, who has close ties to Sturgeon, has also faced scrutiny and criticism over his record in successive roles in the Scottish government.
Sturgeon, 52, has served as first minister since November 2014 but said last month she was unable to give “every ounce of energy” to the job. In his final months in office, he faced uproar over a new law that allowed anyone over the age of 16 to change their gender without a medical diagnosis. The law would have allowed a transgender woman who was convicted of rape to begin serving a prison sentence in a women-only facility.
As the debate began, the UK government used an unprecedented veto to block the legislation. Britain’s Supreme Court also ruled last year that the Scottish government could not hold a new referendum on independence without London’s approval.
Since then, several polls have shown a decline in public support for secession. But Sturgeon said he was “absolutely confident” his successor would lead Scotland to independence. The devolved government in Edinburgh was created in 1999 through devolution reforms initiated by the UK government in London.
The SNP has since emerged as the dominant force in Scottish politics, gaining support from the Labor Party. But Labor is hoping that Sturgeon’s departure could pave the way for a potential return north of the English border that would pave the way for the Conservatives to defeat at the next UK election.
