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Premiership of Humza Yousaf

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This article is about the events of Humza Yousaf's tenure as First Minister. For the people in Humza Yousaf's administration, see Yousaf government.
Humza Yousaf
Premiership of Humza Yousaf
29 March 2023 – present
MonarchCharles III
CabinetYousaf government
PartyScottish National Party
SeatBute House
This article is part of
a series about
Humza Yousaf

Humza Yousaf's term as first minister of Scotland began on 29 March 2023 when he was formally sworn into office at the Court of Session. Yousaf's election as leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) followed Nicola Sturgeon's announcement on 15 February that she would resign as leader and first minister.

Sturgeon resigned as first minister and the leadership of the Scottish National Party on 15 February 2023 amid internal pressures within her party.[1] Yousaf, who had served in her administration as justice secretary and later as health secretary, entered the leadership election to replace Sturgeon along with Kate Forbes and Ash Regan. On 27 March, he was officially announced as the leader of the Scottish National Party.

Scottish National Party leadership bid

Main article: 2023 Scottish National Party leadership election

On 15 February 2023, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced her intention to resign the leadership of the Scottish National Party (SNP), triggering an internal election to elect a successor.[2][3][4] Yousaf declared his candidacy for leader on 18 February on a platform as the "continuity candidate" to Sturgeon's progressive policies.[5][6]

During the campaign, opposition parties, as well as rival candidate Kate Forbes, criticised his record in government.[7][8] Despite being unpopular among polling by the Scottish public,[9] Yousaf proved popular in SNP membership polling and received the backing of many prominent figures in the party, something his opponents claimed was the "party establishment".[10][11][12]

Yousaf received 48.2% in first preference votes, but after Ash Regan was eliminated he picked up a total of 52.1% of second preference votes among Regan's voters, delivering him a narrow victory over Forbes.[13] On 27 March, he was officially announced as the leader of the Scottish National Party.[14][15]

Term

Humza Yousaf is sworn in as first minister of Scotland at the Court of Session

Yousaf was officially sworn into office as first minister of Scotland on 29 March 2023 at the Court of Session in Edinburgh after receiving the Royal Warrant of Appointment by King Charles III.[16] He is the youngest, first Scottish Asian and first Muslim officeholder.[17]

Cabinet

See also: Yousaf government
Yousaf with his first cabinet outside Bute House

On 28 March 2023, following his nomination as first minister, he announced that Shona Robison would serve as his deputy first minister.[18] That same day, Kate Forbes, who Yousaf defeated in the SNP leadership race, announced she was leaving government after turning down a demotion as rural affairs secretary in his cabinet.[19][20] Yousaf announced the formation of a new government following his appointment to office on 29 March 2023.[21] The Bute House Agreement, a co-operation agreement between the SNP and the Greens, was continued into his new administration, this making his government a majority informal coalition.[22][23]

Robison succeeded Forbes as the finance secretary,[24] while his campaign manager in the leadership election, Neil Gray, was promoted to government as the wellbeing economy secretary.[25] Jenny Gilruth and Màiri McAllan were promoted to cabinet as education secretary and net zero secretary, respectively.[26][27] Michael Matheson succeeded Yousaf as the health secretary, with responsibility of NHS recovery, and Shirley-Anne Somerville was appointed social justice secretary.[28] Mairi Gougeon and Angus Robertson remained in their respective roles as rural affairs secretary and the constitution secretary.[29]

Keith Brown, the depute leader of the SNP, was axed from government as the justice secretary.[30] His departure comes amid the controversial imprisonment of Isla Bryson, a transgender woman convicted twice for rape before their gender transition, who was sent to a women's prison.[31][32] Angela Constance, who previously served in the cabinets of Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon, returned to cabinet, succeeding Brown as the justice secretary.[33]

Yousaf's cabinet is majority women, with six women and three men.[34] All members of his cabinet are allies and were supporters of his leadership bid.[35][36][37]

Other key appointments included, Jamie Hepburn as the minister for independence,[38] which the Scottish Conservatives criticised the appointment as "taxpayer-funded nationalist campaigner".[39] Gillian Martin was appointed the energy minister. In Sturgeon's 2018 cabinet reshuffle, she initially nominated Martin for further education minister, however, after making offensive comments about minority groups on a blog post ten years prior, Sturgeon reversed her decision to appoint her a junior minister.[40][41] Yousaf was criticised for her appointment to government.[42]

First days in office

Yousaf speaks before the Scottish Parliament

Yousaf announced the Fuel Insecurity Fund would increase to £30 million as part of his government's effort to "lift people out of poverty, to make work fair, to make our economy work for the people."[43]

Yousaf attended his first session of First Minister's Questions in the Scottish Parliament on 30 March 2023, which was interrupted five times by protestors.[44][45][46][47] Opposition parties criticised his governance of NHS Scotland as health secretary and his decision to appoint an independence minister.[48][49]

References

  1. ^ "Why did Nicola Sturgeon resign as first minister?". BBC News. 2023-02-16. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  2. ^ "Nicola Sturgeon quits as Scotland's First Minister, citing rigours of the job". ABC News. 2023-02-15. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  3. ^ Carrell, Severin; Stacey, Kiran; Brooks, Libby (2023-02-15). "SNP in turmoil after Nicola Sturgeon resigns as first minister". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  4. ^ "Humza Yousaf succeeds Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader". BBC News. 2023-03-27. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  5. ^ Media, P. A. (2023-02-18). "SNP leadership: Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan announce plans to stand". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  6. ^ "Humza Yousaf 'happy' to be called the continuity candidate in SNP leadership race". The National. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  7. ^ Andrews, Kieran. "Opposition 'scared' of Humza Yousaf, claims Nicola Sturgeon". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  8. ^ Hutcheon, Paul (2023-03-08). "Kate Forbes' attack on Humza Yousaf will not go down well with SNP members". Daily Record. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  9. ^ Meighan, Craig (2023-03-23). "Kate Forbes 'most popular SNP candidate among Scottish public'". STV News. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  10. ^ "Forbes most favoured among Scots but Yousaf leads SNP voters, finds poll". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  11. ^ "Humza Yousaf's leadership win is a big victory for the SNP establishment but old issues must be tackled". Sky News. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  12. ^ "How 'continuity candidate' Humza Yousaf clinched Scotland's top job". France 24. 2023-03-27. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  13. ^ "Humza Yousaf announced as new Scottish National Party leader replacing Nicola Sturgeon". Sky News. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  14. ^ "Humza Yousaf narrowly elected new Scottish National Party leader". POLITICO. 2023-03-27. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  15. ^ Sanderson, Daniel (2023-03-27). "Humza Yousaf: The new SNP leader who vowed to break up Britain by 'any means necessary'". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  16. ^ "Humza Yousaf: How is Scotland's first minister appointed?". BBC Newsround. 2023-03-28. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  17. ^ McCall, Chris (2023-03-28). "Humza Yousaf to become youngest First Minister in historic day at Holyrood". Daily Record. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  18. ^ "Shona Robison to be Scottish deputy first minister". BBC News. 2023-03-28. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  19. ^ "Kate Forbes: SNP leadership candidate leaves government". BBC News. 2023-03-28. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  20. ^ "Kate Forbes leaves Scottish government after rejecting demotion from new first minister Humza Yousaf". Sky News. Retrieved 2023-03-29.
  21. ^ "Scottish Cabinet reshuffle: Humza Yousaf's new cabinet". The Scotsman. 29 March 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  22. ^ "Humza Yousaf meets with Scottish Greens co-leaders and commits to progressive values". The National. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  23. ^ "Scottish Greens unanimously back Humza Yousaf for first minister". Holyrood Website. 2023-03-27. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  24. ^ Hutcheon, Paul (2023-03-29). "Shona Robison to become next SNP Finance Secretary after Kate Forbes departure". Daily Record. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  25. ^ "Shona Robison replaces Kate Forbes as finance secretary in new cabinet". BBC News. 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  26. ^ "Who is Jenny Gilruth? Meet Scotland's new Education Secretary". The National. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  27. ^ "Who is Màiri McAllan? Former environment minister joins Cabinet for first time". The National. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  28. ^ "Who is in Yousaf's first Scottish Cabinet?". Glasgow Times. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  29. ^ Meighan, Craig (2023-03-29). "Humza Yousaf unveils cabinet after being sworn in as First Minister". STV News. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  30. ^ Hutcheon, Paul (2023-03-29). "Keith Brown sacked as Justice Secretary by new First Minister Humza Yousaf". Daily Record. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  31. ^ "Humza Yousaf names first cabinet minus SNP deputy leader Keith Brown". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  32. ^ "Scotland's papers: Halt on trans prisoner moves and Zahawi sacked". BBC News. 2023-01-30. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  33. ^ "Angela Constance becomes new justice secretary". Scottish Legal News. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  34. ^ Brooks, Libby; correspondent, Libby Brooks Scotland (2023-03-29). "Yousaf names majority-female Scottish cabinet after Forbes rejects role". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  35. ^ Andrews, Kieran. "Humza Yousaf fills Holyrood cabinet with allies". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  36. ^ "Scotland's new first minister rewards allies with cabinet appointments". Financial Times. 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  37. ^ Dunn, Lucy (2023-03-29). "Humza Yousaf's cabinet will do little to unite the SNP". The Spectator. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  38. ^ "Who is Jamie Hepburn, Scotland's new minister for independence?". The National. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  39. ^ Bussey, Katrine. "Yousaf's independence minister is a taxpayer-funded campaigner, say Tories". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  40. ^ Bews, Lynsey (2018-06-28). "Gillian Martin axed from Scottish Government post after mocking transgenders". Daily Record. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  41. ^ Meighan, Craig (2023-03-30). "Yousaf attacked for appointing minister who made 'transphobic' remarks". STV News. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  42. ^ "First Minister defends appointment of Gillian Martin". Holyrood Website. 2023-03-30. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  43. ^ Bussey, Katrine (30 March 2023). "Humza Yousaf leadership: First Minister confirms extra money to help with rising energy bills as Scottish independence funds redirected". The Scotsman. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  44. ^ "Humza Yousaf's first FMQs hit by series of disruptions". BBC News. 2023-03-30. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  45. ^ Johnson, Simon (2023-03-31). "Security crackdown after eco protesters wreak havoc at Humza Yousaf's FMQs debut". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  46. ^ "Climate activists disrupt Humza Yousaf's first FMQs five times – video". the Guardian. 2023-03-30. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  47. ^ Meighan, Craig (2023-03-31). "Protesters at FMQs face six-month ban in Holyrood crackdown". STV News. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  48. ^ McCall, Chris (2023-03-30). "Humza Yousaf defends appointing dedicated minister for Scottish independence". Daily Record. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  49. ^ "Humza Yousaf names new 'minister for independence'". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
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