Yousaf officially steps down as first minister as King accepts resignation
Humza Yousaf has officially resigned as Scotland’s first minister.
Mr Yousaf, who is the youngest and first person of colour to hold the top job in Scotland, will make his final speech to MSPs this afternoon, paving the way for a Holyrood vote on his replacement.
In his official letter to King Charles, Mr Yousaf thanked the monarch for the “kindness” shown to himself and his wife, Nadia El-Nakla.
The Scottish Government has since confirmed Mr Yousaf’s resignation has been accepted and the Scottish Parliament has been notified.
He wrote: “Throughout my time as first minister, I have been most grateful for your counsel and the kindness you have shown to Nadia and I.
“It has been my pleasure to serve Your Majesty and the people of Scotland since March 2023.”
Official resignation letter to King Charles from Humza Yousaf (Jane Barlow/PA)
He announced his intention to resign last week after he ended the powersharing deal between the SNP and the Scottish Greens at Holyrood, causing anger from the latter party.
A motion of no confidence in his leadership was put forward by the Scottish Tories, and with Mr Yousaf unlikely to win, he stepped down from his role and forced the SNP to find its second leader in just over a year.
Mr Yousaf said he will continue to champion the rights of the voices not often heard, including those in Gaza after his tenure as first minister saw him share his own personal story of his in-laws who were trapped in the war zone before fleeing through Egypt.
He said: “Being the first minister of the country I love, the country I am raising my family in, and the only country I will ever call home has been a phenomenal honour”.
Mr Yousaf, who at the time of his appointment was the first Muslim leader of any nation, said: “As a young Muslim boy, born and raised in Scotland, I could never have dreamt that one day I would have the privilege of leading my country – people who looked like me were not in positions of political influence, let alone leading governments when I was younger.”
Outgoing First Minister Humza Yousaf signs his official resignation letter at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh. (Jane Barlow/PA)
Addressing the policy decisions made during his time in office, Mr Yousaf said he was “proud” to have delivered a council tax freeze across Scotland and invest record amounts in the NHS.
He added: “From the backbenches of the Scottish Parliament, I will continue to champion the rights and the voices of those who are often not heard, be they at home or abroad.”
It is expected John Swinney, who was yesterday confirmed as the new SNP leader, will be sworn in at the Court of Session in Edinburgh before officially becoming first minister, presuming he wins the Holyrood vote.
He can then get on with the business of appointing his cabinet, before going on to to take First Minister’s Questions on Thursday.
He said yesterday he was “deeply honoured” to have been appointed SNP leader, with Mr Swinney also saying he would “give all that I have to serve my party and my country”.
It marks the second time he has served as SNP leader – though when he held the role previously between 2000 and 2004 the party was in opposition at Holyrood.
His appointment on Monday, however, will mean that the man who was Scotland’s longest serving deputy first minister – a position he held under Nicola Sturgeon – will now take on the top job in Scottish politics.