Scottish Parliament confirms Humza Yousaf as new First Chief Minister

First modification: 03/28/2023 – 20:19

Yousaf, 37, narrowly won the Scottish National Party (SNP) leadership battle on Monday to take the job, vowing to rejuvenate Scotland’s stalled independence process.

In a vote held early Tuesday afternoon, Yousaf won the support of a majority of lawmakers to become the new prime minister, and will be formally sworn in at a ceremony on Wednesday.

Ahead of the confirmation vote, Yousaf acknowledged he had “very big shoes to fill” to succeed Sturgeon, but vowed to “continue to ensure Scotland is a positive and progressive voice on the world stage.”

“I will also vigorously defend independence,” he added afterwards, vowing in the meantime to “make the best possible use of the powers of this Parliament.”

Yousaf had vowed on Monday to be “the generation that wins independence for Scotland” and said he would again promptly call on London to allow another vote.

But congratulating Yousaf on his election, the British Government’s Secretary for Scotland, Alister Jack, said he hoped the new SNP leader “put aside his obsession with independence”.

The First Minister, Rishi Sunak, echoed this sentiment, telling a group of MPs in London: “What the people of Scotland want is to see governments working together to deliver results.”

Reception

In the hours before the vote, Sturgeon sent his formal letter of resignation to King Charles III and left the prime minister’s official residence in Edinburgh for the last time.

He later tweeted that he wished his old ally Yousaf “much success and will support him every step of the way.”

He will be sworn in on Wednesday, after formal approval by the king, whom he wants to unseat in favor of an elected head of state for Scotland.

SNP leaders were proud that Scotland became the first democracy in Western Europe to appoint a Muslim leader.

“I think what it says about the UK is that we are a welcoming group of nations, and Scotland in particular,” said Stephen Flynn, leader of the party in Britain’s Parliament.

In contrast to the Conservative government of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, which is seeking to “make asylum seekers illegal” through new legislation to deal with boatloads of immigrants crossing the English Channel.

The seismic shift in Scottish politics comes after Sturgeon surprisingly announced his resignation last month after more than eight years at the helm of government.

It came after a stormy period for his government, in which support for independence has waned.

Recent polls show around 45% of Scots support Scotland’s departure from the UK, the same number recorded in the 2014 referendum that London insists settled the issue for a generation.

critics

Yousaf, who was health minister in Sturgeon’s last cabinet, narrowly won the SNP race with 52% of the affiliate’s preferential vote.

He received criticism for his record in various government roles.

He now faces a bigger challenge to win over the general Scottish electorate, with a UK general election due in 18 months.

An Ipsos poll conducted shortly before he was announced as leader of the SNP showed that half of Scots believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, while only a quarter think it is headed in the right direction.

Despite winning several elections under Sturgeon, the SNP also faces bitter divisions following the three-way battle for leadership.

Sturgeon’s last months in power were overshadowed by backlash against a new Scottish law that allowed those over 16 to change their sex without a medical diagnosis.

In the midst of the debate, the British government used an unprecedented veto to block the law.

The UK Supreme Court also ruled last year that Sturgeon’s government could not hold a new referendum on Scottish independence without London’s approval.

These two setbacks drew infrequent criticism of his leadership and tactics.

*With AFP; adapted from its original in English