LAST UPDATE | 27 Mar 2023
HUMZA YOUSAF HAS been elected as the new SNP leader and will tomorrow become First Minister of Scotland.
Yousaf was chosen by SNP members to replace Nicola Sturgeon as the leader of Scotland’s main pro-independence party following a fiery five-week contest.
Current Health Secretary Yousaf defeated Finance Secretary Kate Forbes and former community safety minister Ash Regan in the contest, with the result announced at Murrayfield stadium in Edinburgh this afternoon.
Lorna Finn announced that turnout in the party’s leadership election was 70%.
For first preferences in the STV system, Yousaf took 24,336 (48%), Forbes took 20,559 (40%) and Regan took 5,599 (11%) of the vote.
When second preferences were distributed in the second stage, Yousaf took 26,032 (52%) and Kate Forbes took 23,890 (48%).
A vote in parliament will take place tomorrow to elect them as the next first minister.
Yousaf is set to become Scotland’s youngest First Minister and also the first ever person from a minority ethnic background to hold the post. During his victory speech today, he thanked his late grandparents who he said “made the trip from Punjab to Scotland over 60 years ago”.
“We should all take pride in the fact that today we have sent a clear message that the colour of your skin or indeed your faith is not a barrier to leading the country that we all call home,” he said.
This is a journey over generations that reminds us we should be celebrating the migrants to contribute so much to our country.
It has not been a smooth leadership contest for the party, with acrimonious clashes between candidates and the dramatic resignation of chief executive Peter Murrell following controversy over the transparency of SNP membership numbers.
Asked about the fractious campaign, Yousaf said his first meeting after his election win would be with his defeated opponents.
“There will be no team Humza, there will be no team Kate, there will be no team Ash. There will be team SNP, and it will be team SNP that will deliver independence for our country,” he said.
I feel like the luckiest man in the world to be standing here as leader of the SNP.
Frontrunners Yousaf, 37, and Forbes, 32, particularly clashed over their record in government and their social views.
Early in the campaign, Forbes can under increased scrutiny after she said she would not have voted for same-sex marriage had she been an MSP.
Equal marriage was made legal in Scotland in 2014 with an overwhelming majority of 105 votes to 18. Forbes was not elected until 2016.
Forbes gave her “warmest congratulations” to her rival.
She said: “I’ve been proud to share a platform with both him and Ash over the last five weeks, and I know we will continue to work together, to make the lives of all of Scotland’s people better on the next stage of our journey to independence.
“Whatever the robust disagreements or frank exchanges of the last few weeks, I am confident we will unite behind Humza as our new party leader in the shared and common objective of independence.”
Yousaf now faces the challenge of following on from Sturgeon’s successful leadership when her party won seven election in the her eight years, three of which were general elections.
Despite this, Sturgeon was unable to force Westminster to hold another Scottish independence referendum following the failed vote in 2014.
Sturgeon paid tribute to all candidates for “rising to the challenge”, adding: “Most of all I congratulate Humza Yousaf and wish him every success.
“He will be an outstanding leader and first minister and I could not be prouder to have him succeed me.”
- With reporting by Press Association
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