BACK in May, Humza Yousaf quit as Scotland’s First Minister after serving just over a year in post and seven months later, he has announced he will be exiting Parliament altogether in 2026.
It’s been quite the rollercoaster for a man who bravely stepped into the shoes of one of the most popular Scottish leaders ever in Nicola Sturgeon, after she had been in post for a record-breaking eight years.
I had a brilliant opportunity to spend 48 hours following Yousaf on the campaign trail earlier this year in April, when The National was invited to observe and interview him as he travelled from Dingwall, to Ullapool, and onto the Isle of Lewis.
Looking back on that trip, today’s news he would not be continuing as an MSP beyond 2026 did not come as a huge surprise to me.
Though there were no imminent signs Yousaf would only last a few more weeks as first minister when I sat to talk to him on a CalMac ferry over The Minch, I never got a sense he was fully comfortable with the burden of being the country’s leader.
A moment that stuck with me was just after we finished that interview when, as I moved across the room to make notes on some of the topics we’d covered, he was recognised by a young family sat next to him and he began playing cards with the wee boy.
In a matter of minutes, he had gone from a very measured and self-conscious man who seemed a little exhausted answering my questions, to one who was smiling and laughing, enjoying a brief moment of relaxation. He was likely taking a tiny bit of comfort amid missing his own children, who he would no doubt have had limited time for in such a pressurised position.
Another moment I could tell Yousaf was a little uncomfortable with being FM was when I confronted him about whether he would pledge allegiance to King Charles last year, having made no secret of his republican beliefs.
He gave a pretty sarcastic response saying: “I’m going down there to do my duty as First Minister and if it means, in my duty as FM, I’ve got to take the oath as I’ve taken only five weeks ago – almost word for word I think – that’s something of course I will do.”
When I pressed him on whether it made him feel uncomfortable, he repeated that he was “doing his duty”. He wouldn’t admit it, but you could tell he was furious at this submissive aspect of the job.
Duty, I think, is what kept Yousaf going through many, many challenging moments first minister. Through former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell being arrested in connection with Operation Branchform, through Elon Musk stirring up disinformation about the Hate Crime Bill, and even through his desperate attempt to hold on after brutally ending the Bute House Agreement with the Greens. You could see, as pained as he seemed at times, he was prepared to put on a face and try and do what was right by the people of Scotland. Keep calm, and carry on.
As he returned to the backbenches, Yousaf was vocal on social media about prioritising his mental health and spending more time with his children. It was not hard to sense the relief he felt at getting back to a more normal life away from the public eye. It seemed like he was himself again and enjoying life, just like he was playing cards with a youngster on the ferry.
One thing that has remained consistent no matter his position is that he has been unrelentingly vocal about the atrocities in Gaza and no one is expecting that to change, whether he is an elected politician or not. It’ll actually be interesting to see what kinds of activism he gets involved in away from the chamber.
But it was clear the moment he gave up any ministerial duty, the more photos you saw of him enjoying life at home with his girls, the end was nigh for Yousaf’s political career. He had reached the top and it did not taste so good, but now let’s hope he can enjoy the sweeter things in life.
