Ministerial offices (2012–2023)

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
In office 20 May 2021 – 28 March 2023
First Minister	Nicola Sturgeon
Preceded by	Jeane Freeman
Succeeded by	Michael Matheson
Cabinet Secretary for Justice
In office 26 June 2018 – 20 May 2021
First Minister	Nicola Sturgeon
Preceded by	Michael Matheson
Succeeded by	Keith Brown
Minister for Transport and the Islands
In office 18 May 2016 – 26 June 2018
First Minister	Nicola Sturgeon
Preceded by	Derek Mackay
Succeeded by	Paul Wheelhouse
Minister for Europe and International Development
In office 6 September 2012 – 18 May 2016
First Minister	Alex Salmond Nicola Sturgeon
Preceded by	Fiona Hyslop (2011)
Succeeded by	Alasdair Allan

Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Glasgow Pollok

Incumbent

Assumed office
5 May 2016

Preceded by

Johann Lamont

Majority

7,105 (21.0%)

Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Glasgow
(1 of 7 Regional MSPs)

In office
5 May 2011 – 5 May 2016

Personal details

Born

Humza Haroon Yousaf

7 April 1985 (age 40)
Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, Scotland

Political party

Scottish National Party

Spouses

Gail Lythgoe

(m. 2010; div. 2017)

Nadia El-Nakla

(m. 2019)

Children

Education

Hutchesons' Grammar School

Alma mater

University of Glasgow

Signature

Humza Haroon Yousaf (born 7 April 1985) is a Scottish politician. He served as the First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) from March 2023 to May 2024. Before this, he was the justice secretary from 2018 to 2021. He then became the health secretary from 2021 to 2023 under Nicola Sturgeon.

Yousaf has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Glasgow Pollok since 2016. Before that, he was a regional MSP for Glasgow from 2011 to 2016.

When he became First Minister on 29 March 2023, Humza Yousaf made history. He was the youngest person to hold the job. He was also the first Scottish Asian and the first Muslim to lead Scotland.

In April 2024, he ended a power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens. This led to a government crisis. He announced his plan to resign on 29 April 2024. He officially stepped down on 7 May 2024. John Swinney took over from him.

Early Life and Education

Humza Haroon Yousaf was born in Rutherglen, Scotland, on 7 April 1985. His parents were first-generation Pakistani Muslim immigrants. His father, Mian Muzaffar Yousaf Arain, came from Pakistan in the 1960s. He later worked as an accountant.

Humza's grandfather worked at the Singer sewing machine factory in Clydebank. His mother, Shaaista Bhutta, was born in Kenya. Her family moved to Scotland after facing difficulties in Kenya.

Humza attended Mearns Primary School and then Hutchesons' Grammar School in Glasgow. His lessons in Modern Studies at school made him interested in politics.

He studied politics at the University of Glasgow. He was the President of the Glasgow University Muslim Students Association. He earned his Master of Arts (MA) degree in 2007.

Early Career and Political Involvement

From a young age, Yousaf was involved in community work. This included youth groups and charity fundraising. He was a volunteer spokesperson for Islamic Relief. He also worked in community radio for twelve years.

Yousaf joined the Scottish National Party (SNP) in 2005. He was studying at Glasgow University at the time. Speeches by Alex Salmond and anti-war activist Rose Gentle inspired him. They spoke out against the Iraq War.

He started campaigning for the SNP. This included the 2007 Scottish Parliament election. This election led to the first SNP government in Scotland. It also led to Yousaf's first job in the Scottish parliament.

In 2006, Yousaf worked at an O2 call centre. Later, he became a parliamentary assistant for Bashir Ahmad. Ahmad was Scotland's first Muslim MSP. Yousaf also worked for other MSPs, including Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond. Salmond was the First Minister at the time.

Early Parliamentary Career

Becoming an MSP

Official parliamentary portrait, 2011

Yousaf was elected to the Scottish Parliament in the 2011 election. He became an additional member for the Glasgow electoral region. At 26 years old, he was the youngest MSP elected to the 4th parliament.

When he was sworn in, he took his oath in English and then in Urdu. This showed his Scottish-Pakistani background. He wore a traditional sherwani with a Partick Thistle tartan touch.

He served on the SNP's backbenches. He was a member of the parliament's justice and public audit committees. In May 2011, Yousaf became a Parliamentary Liaison Officer. He held this role until September 2012.

Junior Minister (2012–2018)

On 5 September 2012, First Minister Alex Salmond appointed Yousaf as a junior minister. His role was Minister for External Affairs and International Development. He was in charge of international development and fair trade policy. He was the first Scottish Asian and Muslim to become a minister in the Scottish Government.

Yousaf signs Nicola Sturgeon's nomination for first minister, 19 November 2014

In October 2013, he spoke about the SNP's plans for overseas aid. He said an independent Scotland would aim to give 0.7% of its income as aid. He also said an independent Scotland would "promote peace, equality and fairness" globally.

When Nicola Sturgeon became First Minister in November 2014, she kept Yousaf as a junior minister. His job title changed to Minister for Europe and International Development.

On 18 May 2016, he became Minister for Transport and the Islands. This was after Sturgeon formed her second government.

Justice Secretary (2018–2021)

On 26 June 2018, Nicola Sturgeon changed her cabinet. She promoted Yousaf to the Scottish Cabinet. He became the Cabinet Secretary for Justice. He took over from Michael Matheson.

Health Secretary (2021–2023)

Yousaf at the COP26 Climate Action for Health event, 2021

In the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, Yousaf was re-elected as the MSP for Glasgow Pollok. The SNP remained the largest party. Sturgeon formed her third government. She appointed Yousaf as the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care.

COVID-19 Pandemic

Yousaf at Scottish Government press conference on COVID-19 in 2020.

Yousaf took office during the COVID-19 pandemic. In June 2021, he spoke about children being admitted to hospitals with COVID. He later clarified his statement and apologised for any confusion.

In July, the World Health Organisation noted that some areas in Scotland had high virus cases. There were concerns about government leaders being on holiday. Yousaf said his most important job was being a good father and husband.

NHS Waiting Times

In September 2021, ambulance waiting times in Scotland increased. Yousaf asked people to "think twice" before calling 999. Some critics said this advice could be risky. Following reports of very long waits for emergency help, Yousaf asked for assistance. Soldiers from the British Army were sent to help drive ambulances. Reports showed that some people faced very long waits for help, which caused serious concerns.

2023 SNP Leadership Election

Leadership campaign logo

On 15 February 2023, Nicola Sturgeon resigned as SNP leader and First Minister. This started an election to choose her successor. On 18 February, Yousaf announced he would run for leader. He promised to challenge the UK Government on some issues. He also wanted to increase support for Scottish independence.

Yousaf launched his campaign on 20 February. He said he was open to different ways to achieve Scottish independence. He also promised to protect the Scottish Parliament's powers. He acknowledged that some laws had caused debate within his party.

During the campaign, Yousaf faced questions about missing a vote on a certain law. He explained that he was meeting with a diplomat at the time. Yousaf supported a bill about gender recognition. His opponents, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan, did not.

On 27 March 2023, Yousaf won the leadership election. He won both rounds of voting. He promised to lead the party for all its members.

First Minister of Scotland (2023–2024)

Yousaf is formally sworn in as First Minister, at the Court of Session in Edinburgh, March 2023

Yousaf was sworn in as First Minister of Scotland on 29 March 2023. He was the youngest person to hold the office. He was also the first Scottish Asian and Muslim to become First Minister. In September 2023, he was named a powerful left-wing figure in the UK.

Upon his first year in office, Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour Party leader, said Yousaf was "a nice guy" but "not up to the job." Douglas Ross, the Scottish Conservative leader, called Yousaf's first year "nothing short of a disaster."

Domestic Policy

Yousaf worked to challenge the UK Government's decision on a law called the Gender Recognition Reform Bill. He also asked the UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, for permission to hold a second referendum on Scottish independence. Sunak said no to this request.

Yousaf launches the fourth Building a New Scotland paper

In June 2023, Yousaf released a paper about an independent Scotland's constitution. He said an independent Scotland would have a written constitution. This constitution would protect rights like access to healthcare. It would also include rules on land and the environment.

Opposition parties in Scotland said Yousaf was focusing on the "wrong priorities." The UK Government said it wanted to work with Scotland on shared challenges. They added that this was not the time to talk about changing the constitution.

In July 2023, Yousaf released another paper. It was about citizenship in an independent Scotland. The plan was for an "inclusive" citizenship model. People born outside Scotland could become citizens if a parent was Scottish. Scottish people could also have dual Scottish and British citizenship. The paper said there would be no hard border between Scotland and the rest of the UK.

Economic Policy

Yousaf meets with the International Monetary Fund's Gita Gopinath, June 2023

Yousaf became First Minister during a cost of living crisis. He supported a deposit return scheme for bottles and cans. However, he thought it should not include small businesses in its current form. He also talked about a "wellbeing economy." He suggested a new wealth tax to help fund welfare benefits.

Education Policy

Yousaf with a group of primary school children at the launch of the Reading Schools initiative, August 2023

Yousaf was asked to review Scotland's policy of free university tuition. He said he was "very proud" that the SNP opposed university fees. He believed that university education should be based on a student's ability to learn, not their ability to pay.

Yousaf faced criticism for suggesting changes to free school meals. He later confirmed that free school meals would continue. He also said the Scottish Government planned to offer free school meals in secondary schools.

In August 2023, Yousaf launched the Reading Schools project. This program helps schools build a strong reading culture. He hopes every school in Scotland will join the scheme in the next few years.

Programme for Government

In September 2023, Yousaf launched his first Programme for Government. This plan focused on reducing poverty and growing the economy. It also aimed to tackle climate change and improve public services.

Resignation

Humza Yousaf ended a power-sharing agreement with the Scottish Greens. This meant he faced votes of no confidence. On 29 April 2024, he announced he would resign as SNP leader and First Minister. John Swinney was chosen as his successor. Yousaf formally resigned on 7 May.

Personal Life

Yousaf's family at the Court of Session in Edinburgh, 2023 (From left to right; his step-daughter, himself, his wife, Nadia, and mother Shaaista)

Yousaf was married to Gail Lythgoe from 2010 to 2016. In 2019, he married psychotherapist Nadia El-Nakla. They have one child together, and he has a stepchild. In March 2024, they announced they were expecting another child.

On 17 July 2024, Yousaf announced the birth of his daughter, Liyana Jenin Yousaf.

Honours

He became a member of His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council on 17 May 2023. This happened at Buckingham Palace. Being a member of the Privy Council is for life. Members are called "The Right Honourable".