HUMZA Yousaf has said he is "frustrated" that the SNP leadership contest has descended into mudslinging as the race to replace Nicola Sturgeon enters its second week.
Speaking on the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg Show on Sunday morning, Yousaf was probed on comments made by former SNP MSP Alex Neil who has claimed the Health Secretary purposefully arranged a meeting to clash with the stage 3 vote on equal marriage in 2014.
Yousaf has repeatedly denied the claims made by Neil and said they are "not true".
It came after fellow leadership contender Kate Forbes sparked a backlash after she said she would not have voted for the equal marriage bill in Holyrood, had she been an MSP at the time. Forbes was not elected until 2016, while Yousaf served as the external affairs minister under Alex Salmond at the time of the vote.
Neil, who served as an MSP between 1999 and 2021 and is backing Forbes in the contest, said that Yousaf arranged a ministerial meeting 19 days before the final vote on equal marriage because he was under pressure from religious leaders.
"There is no doubt at all that Humza asked for and was given leave of absence from the vote because of 'pressure from the mosque'," Neil claimed.
Yousaf was the only minister to miss the final stage vote, due to a meeting with the Pakistan Consul General in Glasgow at the same time.
The meeting reportedly related to the case of a Scot with a history of mental illness who was on death row accused of blasphemy in Pakistan.
Speaking on the BBC, Yousaf pointed out that Neil is openly backing Kate Forbes to become the next SNP leader.
"The fact this issue has been dragged up nine years on in the midst of a leadership campaign probably tells you the motivation behind that.
"I've already said very clearly I voted for the bill at stage one, I would vote for it now."
Kuenssberg pressed that Yousaf appeared to be saying Neil was "not telling the truth because he wants someone else to win [SNP leadership] race".
He replied: "I can do anything in this campaign, I’m not going to sling mud at any SNP or any individuals involved in this contest or people that put their head above the parapet in the SNP.
"I'll leave Alex Neil to say what he wants to say."
Kuensbergg said that it appeared Yousaf was saying Neil had "other motivations" for bringing up the equal marriage vote now.
"I’m saying the context obviously for his remarks is that he is supporting you know, another candidate, that is for him to justify why he is saying what he’s saying," Yousaf said.
The Health Secretary was also asked if he was "frustrated" that the race to replace Sturgeon as first minister has "already got a bit dirty".
"I think it is frustrating," Yousaf said.
"There have been some issues that have dominated, like the ones that we've just been discussing, and actually I think a lot of people, not saying these issues listening aren’t important, a lot of people want to hear from their candidates what we will do to ease the cost of living crisis.
"I’ll be setting some of that in the coming days. What we can do to grow our economy, I believe in the well-being economy, I think both go hand in hand, social solidarity and economic dynamism.
"What can the candidates do to further the cause of independence?
"That’s really important, again, more now than ever before. So these are some of the important issues that I hope that we will get on to.
"But I do think it is important that whether the person who is going to be the next leader of the SNP, the next first minister, shares the values of the majority of Scotland and equally, ensure that their rights are not just protected, but where possible, advanced."
It comes as SNP Westminster leader Mhairi Black endorsed Yousaf to be leader, shortly after she had accused Forbes of "intolerance".
