FORMER first minister Humza Yousaf has said he will step down at the next Holyrood election.
The MSP for Glasgow Pollok confirmed the news in a post on Twitter/X on Tuesday morning.
He said it had been an “honour” to sit in Holyrood in a letter to his successor as First Minister and SNP leader John Swinney.
You can read the full letter below.
Dear John,
I am writing to inform you, as party leader, of my decision to stand down as an MSP in 2026.
I struggle to find the words to appropriately convery what an honour it is to sit in our nation's parliament as the elected representative for Glasgow Pollok.
However, come 2026, I will have served 15 years as an MSP, 12 of those years as a minister in the Scottish Government.
The next Scottish Parliament elections in 2026 will be the right time for me to move on, to provide an opportunity for the next generation of MSPs to step forward, and to explore where I can best make a contribution in the future, in helping to tackle some of the most pressing challenges our world faces.
There is no way the son of immigrants could have ever dreamt of being the leader of his country when he was a boy.
People who looked like me and who were of my faith simply were not represented on the front benches in politics anywhere in the UK.
It is often said that you cannot be what you cannot see. I hope by becoming the first first minister of colour, and first Muslim leader of a Western democratic nation, I have sent a clear message to every young person, of any background, who aspires to get involved in public service that you do belong and are just as deserving of opportunity as anyone else.
I have had the enormous privilege of holding many ministerial roles during my political career, most recently serving as our country's first minister, the greatest honour of my life. A privilege and responsibility I know you understand only too well.
During my time in government, including as first minister, I have always been driven by my desire to improve the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable in our society. It is a principle that will guide me in whatever I do next.
In government, I was proud to have significantly increased our budget for active travel, laid the groundwork for taking ScotRail back into public ownership and overseen the completion of the Queensferry crossing.
I brought forward greater protections for domestic abuse survivors, minorities and victims, and agreed to pardon miners who were convicted during the 1984 Miners' Strikes. I was pleased to oversee record NHS investment, our leading vaccination programme during Covid, and ensure Scotland was the only nation in the Uk to avoid NHS strikes as a result of negotiating a fair pay deal with NHS staff.
However, as well as important domestic matters, I have always believed that Scotland should be a good global citizen, contributing to help solve the biggest challenges humanity faces, as well as standing in solidarity with those suffering grave injustices across the world.
As first minister, I hope I was able to demonstrate leadership during, what I view was the moral question of our time, the ongoing atrocities and war crimes being committed in Gaza.
You can be assured that I will continue to work hard to represent and engage with my constituents in Glasgow Pollok who have given me the honour of being their MSP.
There should also be no doubt that whatever I do next, I will continue to be a devoted campaigner for Scottish independence and for the SNP.
You will, of course, continue to have my full and unwavering support from the backbenches, and can be assured that I will be campaigning hard to ensure you are returned to Bute House in 2026.
When one chapter begins to close, you often spend time reflecting on your achievements, mistakes and even regrets. I have all three. However, I hope that throughout it all, I was able to treat people with kindness, courtesy and respect.
Since standing down from the frontbenches, I have, for the first time attended my children's sports day, parents' evening and today will be going to my daughter's Christmas show. I look forward to many more firsts as a father over the coming months and years.
Thank you for all of the support that you have shown me over the years. I am also immensely grateful to my incredible constituency office team, both past and present, as well as the local SNP activists in Glasgow Pollok who are, in my unbiased opinion, the most hardworking campaigners in the country.
Lastly, and certainly most importantly, I would be nowhere without the support of my family, and in particular the love and guidance that Nadia has given me, and the sacrifices she has made for our family over the years.
I owe her a debt I suspect I will never be able to repay, but I shall certainly try my best.
