In Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon’s successor has been elected: Humza Yousaf will be the new head of government. As government party SNP announced on Monday, the members elected the regional health minister as the new party leader. As the strongest force in the regional parliament, the Scottish National Party (SNP) is entitled to the post of Prime Minister.
The 37-year-old is considered a close confidante of Sturgeon and is likely to continue her course. “I feel like the happiest man in the world,” Yousaf said in Edinburgh. Being allowed to rule his country as ‘prime minister’ will be the greatest honor of his life. He wants to be head of government for all Scots. With Yousaf, for the first time, a Muslim has taken charge of the northernmost part of Britain with a population of about 5.5 million. The SNP wants independence from Britain.
Prime Minister election Tuesday
Although relatively young, the political scientist has already gained a lot of government experience. After having been State Secretary for many years, he became Minister of Justice in 2018. In 2021, Yousaf transferred to the Ministry of Health. Critics blame him for the ailing state of the health service. In the race to succeed Sturgeon, Yousaf won against Treasury Secretary Kate Forbes (32) and ex-cabinet member Ash Regan (49). He will be elected Prime Minister by the regional parliament in Edinburgh on Tuesday.
On February 15, Sturgeon surprisingly announced her resignation as Prime Minister and head of the SNP. The 52-year-old was the first woman to hold the highest government office in the most northerly part of Britain. She is seen as the driving force behind pro-independence supporters from the UK.
Approval for independence plummeted after Sturgeon’s retirement
With Sturgeon’s retirement comes the question of the future of the independence movement. Yousaf has announced that he will continue with a detachment. However, the way forward is unclear: according to a ruling by the UK’s highest court, a new referendum is only possible with the consent of the central government in London. But she strongly rejects such a move. In polls, support for independence fell after Sturgeon’s retirement.
Liberal gender legislation could become a stumbling block
A liberal gender law that Sturgeon pushed through in his own ranks against resistance could become a stumbling block for Yousaf, too. The intention is that, among other things, the obligation of a medical report as a condition for a change in the gender entry will no longer apply. The minimum age for an application has been lowered from 18 to 16 years. Transgender people are people who do not identify with the sex they were assigned at birth. The British government blocked the project. Yousaf has promised to take legal action against London’s veto power.
Source: Krone
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