Humza Yousaf, the Pakistani-origin Scottish National Party leader who heads the devolved government in Scotland, announced his resignation on Monday, after days of political turmoil for the devolved SNP-led government.
Yousaf, 39, took over as Scotland’s first Muslim and also the region’s youngest First Minister in March last year.
Last week, he ended a power-sharing agreement with the Scottish Green Party amid growing policy differences and plunged his leadership of a minority government into crisis. His former Green Party allies then teamed up with the Opposition Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrat parties to back two non-confidence motions – one in Yousaf’s leadership of Scotland and the second regarding the Scottish government as a whole.
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“While a route through this week’s motion of no confidence was absolutely possible, I am not willing to trade my values and principles or do deals with whomever simply for retaining power,” said Yousaf.
“Therefore, after spending the weekend reflecting on what is best for my party, for the government and for the country I lead I have concluded that repairing our relationship across the political divide can only be done with someone else at the helm,” he said.
In his speech delivered at Bute House in Edinburgh, he noted on an emotional note: “I am sad that my time as First Minister is ending, but I am so grateful, I am so blessed, for having the opportunity that are afforded to so few to lead my country and who could ask for a better country to lead than Scotland.”
Yousaf, of Pakistani and Kenyan heritage, paid tribute to the UK’s diversity and also referenced Rishi Sunak as Britain’s first Hindu prime minister in his resignation speech.
He added: “People who looked like me were not in positions of political influence, let alone leading governments, when I was younger. We now live in a UK that has a British Hindu Prime Minister (Sunak), a Muslim Mayor of London (Sadiq Khan), a black Welsh First Minister (Vaughan Gething), and for a little while longer a Scottish Asian First Minister of this country.
“So for those who decry that multiculturalism has failed across the UK, I would suggest that the evidence is quite to the contrary and that is something we should all celebrate."
Yousaf will remain in his post until a replacement First Minister is chosen in the Scottish Parliament, Holyrood. It marks a time of upheaval for the pro-independence SNP even though the outgoing leader claimed Scottish independence “feels frustratingly close”.
“The last few miles of the marathon are always the hardest and we have run this race as a team and will now prepare to pass the baton to a successor who I am absolutely certain will lead us over the finish line,” he said.
The Opposition parties welcomed his resignation, with the Scottish Tories saying Yousaf had averted a “humiliating defeat” at a vote of no confidence later this week and the Labour Party demanding a UK-wide general election soon for a “fresh start” across the country.
