Who is Humza Yousaf - All You Need to Know about New SNP Leader

Humza Yousaf
Humza Yousaf successfully replaced Nicola Sturgeon as leader of the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) on 27th March 2023. He has secured a narrow victory over his main rivals, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan. He has been serving the government since 2012. Since then, he has worked in many roles, including transport minister and justice secretary. Let us know further about Humza Yousaf in this article.
 

Early Life:

Mr Yousaf is the son of immigrants who came to Glasgow in the 1960s. His father belongs to Pakistan, and his mother was from a South Asian family in Kenya. He was born in Glasgow on 7th April 1985. Humza was privately educated at Hutchesons' Grammar School in Glasgow, and during his youth, he began to take and exhibit a deep interest in politics. Then he studied politics at the University of Glasgow and graduated in 2007.

During his stay at the university, he joined Scottish National Party (SNP). He was also selected as the president of MSA (Muslim Students Association) and remained a Student Representative Council member.
 

Humza Yousaf Ethnicity

Scottish First Minister Humza Yusaf with his family at Bute House, Edinburgh. Humza Yousaf Twitter.

His father, Mian Muzaffar Arain, belonged to Pakistan and moved to Glasgow in the 1960s when he worked as an accountant. His paternal grandfather worked in Clydebank in a Singer Sewing Machine factory. His mother, Shaaista Bhutta, was born in Nairobi (Kenya). She also belonged to a family of Punjabi descent. Her family had faced several violent racially motivated attacks, and eventually, they moved to Scotland. Both his paternal and maternal grandparents belonged to humble backgrounds, as he said:

"They could not have imagined in their wildest dreams that their grandson would one day be on the cusp of being the next first minister of Scotland."
 

Political Life:

Mr Yousaf was elected as an MSP (Member of the Scottish Parliament) in 2011. At 26, he was declared the youngest member of the Scottish Parliament to enter Holyrood. He became the first Muslim and non-white minister in Holyrood when he was appointed minister for external affairs and international development in 2012. In 2016, he was working as transport minister while Nicola Sturgeon was serving as the leader of the SNP. A cabinet reshuffle happened in 2018, and Mr Yousaf was then promoted to justice secretary. In 2021, he took charge of the role of health secretary. In 2023, he has finally become the leader of the SNP, per the latest news. He is on the way to becoming Scotland's new first minister after winning the SNP leadership race.

Yousaf has advocated for equality, social justice, and human rights throughout his political career.
 

Humza Yousaf History

Yousaf's family ties to Pakistan have remained strong as he often visits his extended family there. He has maintained a close connection with his heritage back in his homeland. His grandfather, Abdul Ghani, had remained a prominent freedom fighter during the Pakistan Movement. This way, Yousaf's political inclinations and aptitude can be traced back to his grandfather's commitment to equality and justice.

Yousaf was raised with a strong sense of community rights protection and a sound appreciation for multiculturalism. During his political career, he has championed several initiatives and progressive policies. Some of those include the following:
  1. Increasing the funding amount for mental health services
  2. Supporting the refugees
  3. Helping the asylum seekers
  4. Promoting renewable energy
  5. Improving the public transportation systems

As a British Pakistani, his rise in Scottish National Parliament exhibits his political acumen and is a practical example of the growing diversity and inclusivity in the UK.
 

Reforms Expected by Humza Yousaf:

During his campaign, Mr Yousaf pledged to tirelessly work hard to meet the demands of his role. He promised to work to improve the rights of girls and women.

He also announced that he would provide free football club memberships to youngsters from deprived backgrounds. Mr Yousaf vowed to increase the Scottish child payment, i.e. £25 payout to the poorest families in the country having children under 16.

As a justice secretary in 2018, he introduced the Hate Crime and Public Order bill. These bills declared that stirring up hatred based on religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, and transgender identities is an offence. That way, he improved the condition of justice in the region.

He has already brought many reforms in the health and transportation sectors of the Scottish economy. He worked hard to improve the transport systems and routes and enabled low-cost transport channels in the country for low-income families. Yousaf is also known to bring several critical reforms and improvements in the health sector of the Scottish economy.
 

Who is Humza Yousaf Wife?

Yousaf has been married twice and has a child and a stepchild. Humza Yousaf's first wife, Gail Lythgoe, was a former SNP worker. Yousaf's first marriage lasted from 2010 to 2016. After three years, he got married again.
 

Who is Humza Yousaf Second Wife?

Yousaf's now wife, Nadia El-Nakla, is of Palestinian, Scottish and Moroccan descent. She works as an engagement and events manager for a charity organisation. They got married in 2018 and have a daughter. The daughter, Amal, was born in 2019.

Humza Yousaf's second wife, Nadia, and he enjoy a private life. They occasionally share glimpses of their family on social media.
 

Where does Humza Yousaf Live?

Humza Yousaf lives in Dundee, Scotland.

In 2021, he and his wife filed a complaint of discrimination against a Dundee children's nursery, stating that it had denied a place to their daughter. Care Inspectorate upheld the complaint and found that the nursery did not promote equality, fairness and respect in its admission policy. Humza and his wife later terminated the legal action.
 

Humza Yousaf Age

As of today, Humza Yousaf is 37 years of age. He was born in 1985.
 

Bottom Line:

Humza Yousaf is the first minority ethnic leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and is almost certain to become Scotland's next first minister. His potential leadership will lead to strengthening the bond with ethnic minority communities and promoting social equality and justice all over Scotland. His leadership will also impact UK's foreign policy, especially its relations with South Asian countries. Currently, Yousaf is seen as someone who will bring a unique perspective of fairness, justice and equality to the country – as he said:

"We should all take pride in the fact that today we have sent a clear message that your colour of skin or indeed your faith is not a barrier to leading the country that we all call home."


Author Bio:
This article is written by Jonathan Naylor, a blogger and social critic working with The Academic Papers UK. He holds a PhD degree in Finance. In his free time, he loves to provide dissertation writing services to British students.

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