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Hardly anyone was really surprised this afternoon when the name of the new Scottish Prime Minister was announced. Humza Yousaf was the party leadership’s favourite. The previous health minister stands for continuity.
Although he is a different personality from Nicola Sturgeon, he will continue unabated in her tireless fight for independence. He believes in Scotland’s independence with every fiber of his being. “This must become reality as soon as possible.” To date, however, he has largely failed to provide an answer as to exactly how he intends to achieve this.
Criticism also from within their own ranks
The 37-year-old economist has been a member of the government for a good ten years. He was transport, justice and health ministers. His positive self-assessment of his past achievements does not entirely match that of his political opponents. The group leader of the Scottish Labor Party describes Yousaf as the worst health minister, who will now probably become the worst first minister.
During the election campaign, his rival within the party, Treasury Secretary Kate Forbes, accused him of having failed in all his political offices. When he was Minister of Transport, people waited for trains, as Minister of Justice he overslept the police reform and is now responsible for long waiting lists in the health service.
His election at Buckingham Palace could raise a frown. Humza Yousaf is a self-confessed republican and would like to replace the monarchy in Scotland sooner or later.
Many challenges await the newcomer
The choice will not inspire everyone, but it is definitely a first. For the first time in Scottish history, a Muslim and representative of an ethnic minority will become First Minister. His father immigrated from Pakistan and his mother was born in Kenya.
His skills as a communicator are praised. This talent will be in demand in the coming weeks as Yousaf takes over Nicola Sturgeon’s political legacy of a fractious and fractured party. Many rub their eyes. Since announcing its resignation, the Scottish National Party (SNP) appears to be on the brink of collapse. The very party that was feared and envied for its unity has not been debating political content for six weeks, but is instead waging a war of direction on the open stage.
In the middle of the election campaign, the party leadership also had to admit that the SNP has probably lost around 50,000 members in recent years. Sturgeon has led the party from election victory to election victory and the nation as sovereign through the pandemic. Behind the successful and dominant figure there was obviously neither room for fundamental debates nor orderly succession planning.