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Humza Yousaf Elected as New SNP Leader

Humza Yousaf was elected as leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) on Monday, March 27, in Edinburgh, beating Kate Forbes and Ash Regan to the position.

Yousaf succeeds Nicola Sturgeon as leader and is the first Muslim to lead a major UK party.

The new SNP leader received 52.1 percent of the vote once the second preference votes were redistributed following a total turnout of 70 percent among SNP members.

Yousaf will face a vote in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday to succeed Sturgeon.

Speaking at Murrayfield Stadium after the result was announced, Yousaf called on the party to unite behind him.

He said independence would be won “on the doorsteps,” adding, “we will be the generation to win independence for Scotland.” Credit: SNP via Storyful

Video transcript

KIRSTEN OSWALD: Good afternoon and welcome to Murrayfield. My name is Kirsten Oswald, and I am the SNP Business Convener. And I'm delighted to be here today at the culmination of this election contest to choose our new SNP leader. The contest has taken over three candidates the length and breadth of Scotland. They've beamed into our living rooms via TV debates. And they've worked tirelessly to engage with members all over the country. So this is a historic moment for the SNP.

And as we look forward to our new leader, I want to thank Nicola Sturgeon for her exceptional leadership over the past 8 and 1/2 years. I'd also like to convey my thanks to the candidates, to our members, and to everyone at SNP HQ and our National Executive Committee, who've worked so hard behind the scenes to deliver this important exercise in party democracy.

And I'm delighted to welcome to the stage to announce our new leader, Lorna Finn, SNP National Secretary.

LORNA FINN: As National Secretary of the SNP, I have been given the results of the party leader election 2023 for Mi-Voice, the ballot services company. These are as follows. The final number of eligible members was 72,169. A total of 50,494 ballot papers containing a valid vote were received. There were three rejected postal ballot papers. The turnout was therefore 70%. 48,645 of the ballots were cast electronically and 1,849 of the ballots were cast by post.

The first preference votes are as follows. Ash Regan, 5,599. This represents 11.1% of the first preference votes. Kate Forbes, 20,559. This represents 40.7% of the first preference votes. Humza Yousaf, 24,336. That represents 48.2% of the first preference votes.

As no candidate receives more than 50% of the votes, Ash Regan as the candidate who received the least number of first preferences was eliminated, and the second preference votes in favor of Kate Forbes or Humza Yousaf were given to them.

The result after those votes were redistributed was as follows. Kate Forbes, 23,890. That represents 47.9% of the final vote. Humza Yousaf, 26,032. This represents 52.1% final vote. I, therefore, declare Humza Yousaf duly elected as the Scottish National Party leader. Congratulations Humza. And I invite you up to say a few words.

HUMZA YOUSAF: Can I begin by thanking our National Secretary, Lorna Finn, and also can I thank our headquarters staff for all the incredible efforts that they have made right throughout this process. It is hard for me to find the words to describe just how honored I am to be entrusted by our membership of the SNP to be the party's next leader and to be on the cusp of being our country's next First Minister.

Can I begin by paying tribute to my colleagues, both Kate and Ash during almost 20 hustings it's probably felt like we've seen each other more than we have our respective families. You both have put in an incredible shift. And I know that collectively, we will continue to work hard as part of team SNP.

I am not just humbled of that, I most certainly am. I also feel like the luckiest man in the world to be standing here as the leader of the SNP, a party I joined almost 20 years ago and that I love so dearly. Friends, it was the late John Smith, and he got it absolutely right when he said, "The opportunity to serve our country is all we ask." To serve my country as First Minister will be the greatest privilege and honor of my life, should parliament decide to elect me as Scotland's next First Minister tomorrow.

And just as I will lead the SNP and the interests of all party members, not just those who voted for me, so I will aim to lead Scotland in the interests of all of our citizens, whatever your political allegiance. If elected as your First Minister after tomorrow's vote in parliament, know that I will be a First Minister for all of Scotland. I will work every minute of every day to earn and to re-earn your respect and your trust.

I will do that by treating you, the people of Scotland, with respect. There will be no empty promises or easy soundbites when the issues in front of us are difficult and complex because government is not easy. And I won't pretend that it is.

My immediate priority will be to continue to protect every Scot as far as we possibly can from the harm inflicted by the cost of living crisis, to recover and reform our NHS, and other vital public services, to support our wellbeing economy, to improve the life chances of people right across this country.

I will move quickly to develop plans to extend childcare to improve rural housing, support small businesses, and boost innovation. I will bring forward reforms of the criminal justice system. I'll work with local government to empower our local authorities. And as First Minister, I will not shy away from those exceptionally tough challenges that acquired the difficult decisions. But with this challenge I will use it to also find opportunity.

My government will seize the economic and social opportunity that the journey to net zero will bring. Our country is energy-rich. Scotland should not have people living in fuel poverty. The government I lead will renew and redouble our efforts to lift people out of poverty, to make work fair, to make our economy work for the people, and to ensure as we become a more prosperous country, we also become a fairer country too.

And while I have had my fair share of battles with the UK government over the years and there may well be some to come, I will work with them and other devolved nations constructively where I can in the best interests of our nation.

I'm a proud Scot and equally a proud European too. And Scotland as a European nation, we want to return to the European Union and play our part in building a continent that's based on human rights, on peace, prosperity, and social justice. To the people of Scotland, the SNP has earned your trust by governing well, by ensuring that your priorities are our priorities.

As a party and as a government, we are at our best when we are radical and bold, and the challenges we face today, they require nothing less of us. That is what I promised the people of Scotland, if parliament, of course, puts its trust in me tomorrow.

Joining the SNP for me was an act of hope, but it was also a statement of intent. I was determined then as I am now that we will deliver independence for Scotland together as a team. Leadership elections by their very nature can be bruising, however, in the SNP, we are a family.

Over the last five weeks, we may have been competitors or supporters of different candidates. We are no longer team Humza or team Ash or team Kate. We are one team, and we will be the team, we will be the generation that delivers independence for Scotland.

Where there are divisions to heal, we must do so quickly because we have a job to do. As a party, we are at our strongest when we are united. And what unites us is our shared goal of delivering independence for our nation.

To those in Scotland who don't yet quite share that passion that I do for independence, I will aim to earn your trust by continuing to ensure we govern well and earn your respect as First Minister by focusing on the priorities that matter to all of us. And in doing so, using our devolved powers to the absolute maximum effect to tackle the challenges of the day.

And for those of us in this room and watching who do believe in independence, we will only win by making that case on the doorsteps. And my solemn promise and commitment to you is that I will kick start our grassroots, our civic-led movement and ensure our drive for independence is in fifth gear. The people of Scotland need independence now more than ever before. And we will be the generation that delivers independence for Scotland.

Before concluding, I want to take the opportunity to thank some very, very special people indeed. And I wouldn't be standing here today if it wasn't for the support and the encouragement of a number of hard working people.

First of all, there is my amazing wife Nadia. She is not just my rock. She is my compass, who helps to guide me through the most difficult times in life. There is no way, not a chance in hell that I would be standing here if it was not for your love, and for your support, and for your advice. Thank you for believing me and for always being there for me. I will love you more, and I do love you more than words, more than the words that I can find to express.

To my girls, this job will at times be all consuming, I suspect, but know that there is no more important job in my life than being your dad. To my Amal, you will always, always come first. To my mom, to my dad, to my sisters, thank you for your unwavering support throughout my life, for picking me up when I have been down and for telling me to keep going when at times I had my doubts.

I'd also like to thank my phenomenal campaign team, you have worked day and night over the last few weeks to support me. You've all sacrificed time with your family and your friends because like me, you believe in our vision of a progressively, progressive, socially just Scotland, and I will not let you down.

A special mention to Neil Gray, that he is quite simply the best cornerman I could have asked for during the roller coaster of emotion that is any leadership contest, you have been by my side. And there is no way I would have made it to the finish line without your support.

And to my good friend and colleague, Shona Robison, your wise counsel has been indispensable to me during this contest. To our now former leader Nicola Sturgeon and her deputy in government John Swinney, thank you for your dedicated service to this party, to our country, and to all the people of Scotland. You have left me strong foundations to build upon.

And thank you to my colleagues in both parliaments across local government and activists around the country who have been so supportive and so encouraging. I will sure that I-- and I will ensure that I harness all of the talent across the party and across the country as I build that team that will take Scotland forward to deliver our nation's independence.

From our brilliant MPs, led ably by Stephen Flynn and by Mhairi Black in Westminster, to our leaders in local government as well as our exceptional group of MSPs in the Scottish Parliament, our parliament has an array of talent right through its ranks. Our parliamentarians, our councilors, our activists, our members all have a vital part to play on our journey to independence, as do our friends right across the independence movement. To have your confidence as I take on the role as SNP leader means so much to me.

My final thanks is to my grandparents. Unfortunately, they are no longer alive to see this day, but I'm forever, forever thankful that my grandparents made the trip from Punjab to Scotland over 60 years ago, as immigrants to this country who knew barely a word of English. They could not have imagined in their wildest dreams that their grandson would one day be on the cusp of being the next First Minister of Scotland.

As Mohammed Yousaf worked in the Singer sewing machine factory in Clydebank, as Rahmat Ali Bhutto stamped tickets on the Glasgow Corporation buses, they could not have imagined as I say in their wildest dreams that two generations later, that their grandson would one day be on the cusp of being Scotland's First Minister.

We should all take pride in the fact that today we have sent a clear message that your color of skin or indeed your faith is not a barrier to leading the country that we all call home. From the Punjab to our parliament, this is a journey over generations that reminds us we should be celebrating and always celebrate the migrants who contribute so much to our country. This is what drives my commitment to equality that will underpin my actions as First Minister.

Thank you for the honor of choosing me to be your nominee to become Scotland's sixth First Minister. I will dedicate every waking moment to serving you, the people of Scotland. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Thank you very much. I think we are going to take some questions from the press. I think there was a list that was given to me and we'll come to that shortly. There we go. You want to take some questions here. From the best, BBC, James Cook.

JAMES COOK: Thanks very much indeed. Congratulations on the historic nature of your election victory. You have suggested during this campaign that it will be difficult to fill the shoes of Nicola Sturgeon as a politician of considerable stature, and yet on the central defining mission of your party, independence, ultimately she failed. What makes you think you can succeed where she couldn't?

HUMZA YOUSAF: So first and foremost, I want to pay tribute again to Nicola Sturgeon because she has left us with a really strong foundation, and we will build upon that foundation. I will build upon that foundation, but it won't just be me. I'm going to build the team that's going to deliver independence. I've already spoken throughout this campaign of how much admiration I have for both the colleagues who join me in this leadership contest.

But I've also spoken about the array of talent and the parliaments, Scottish, Westminster Parliament, across local government that will help to build that team that delivers independence. So it's Thanks to Nicola Sturgeon. It's Thanks to John Swinney. It's thanks to those strong foundations that they left us that we will go on to finish the job. Thanks, James. Cole McKay, STD.

COLE MCKAY: Congratulations. This has been a bruising contest for your party. The result shows just how divided it is. How do you start by uniting your party and then regaining the trust of the people of Scotland and a Scottish government?

HUMZA YOUSAF: Well, first and foremost, after I've spoken to the media, one of the first meetings I expect to have and we'd like to have, it will be with Kate Nash because it is important that the party comes together. I tried to stress that my opening and my remarks that we are at our strongest as a party when we are united. And what unites us is the goal of delivering independence for Scotland.

So, of course, election contests by their nature can be challenging. They can open up some divisions. But I've got no doubt, not just faith in myself, but I have absolute faith that my colleagues Ash and Kate that we will come together. And there will be no team Humza. There will be no team Kate. There will be no team Ash. There will be team SNP. And it will be team SNP that will deliver independence for our country. Kieran, Channel 4.

- Congratulations. Does this outcome tell you that obviously a lot of people wanted your opponent to win, almost 48% of them offering are quite a different approach. You were the continuity candidate in this election. Does this result tell you that continuity won't cut it?

HUMZA YOUSAF: Well, I'm delighted to be standing here as the person that the majority of the membership have put their faith. But what I will do is, of course, reach across the divides that may well exist. I've always said as much as I admire and respect Nicola and I really do, I will be my own man. I will be-- I will do leadership my own way.

And one of those ways will be to have as big a tent as possible and that includes, of course, the various different-- the various different platforms that have been put forward by my colleagues. I want to speak to them as soon as I'm finished speaking to you because we have to harness not just the talent but the ideas that my colleagues have brought forward.

So as I have said to the other colleagues who've already asked questions, I don't view this as there being factions or teams. It's going to be one team that is going to deliver us independence. In terms of the government, we are still, of course, the party that is more trusted than any other political party in Scotland. I'll not take that for granted. I'll not be complacent about that.

But we have won the trust of the people of Scotland because we have delivered for them. And that is my-- and to continue to deliver for the people of Scotland. Connor. Just behind you.

- Congratulations. First of all, and the polls were suggesting throughout the contest that you of the three candidates were the most incompetent, weak, and untrustworthy. How are you going to turn that around and not fail on the SNP's election winning machine that it has been over the course of the last few years?

HUMZA YOUSAF: Well, I'm delighted to be part of that election winning machine and being part of government for 10 and 1/2 years. But on top of that, of course, I'm delighted that when I've stood for election, I've been elected and re-elected with a big majority from the people of Glasgow pollok, who I'd like to thank in putting their trust in me over the years.

But I want to make sure I do is I govern and govern in the interests of the people of Scotland. But also we win the trust of the people of Scotland when we govern. And we align with their priorities. Their priorities have to be our priorities. And, of course, they will look to us for delivery. And I will do my best to deliver what is their priorities.

At the moment, I don't have to tell anybody in this room that people are suffering from a cost of living crisis. That will be my first and immediate priority to try to help them in that regard. So I've got every confidence, not just my own ability, but frankly, the ability of the exceptional SNP team that exists not just in the Scottish Parliament, as good and exceptional as my SNP colleagues are but right across the parliaments and local government and our activist base too. Glen Campbell.

GLEN CAMPBELL: Congratulations on being elected. How can you possibly hope to unite the country if you're still going to be pushing hard for independence?

HUMZA YOUSAF: Well, independence for me is a golden thread that runs through so many of our priority and policy areas. The reason why we can only mitigate the cost of living crisis is because as a crisis as inflicted by Westminster. We're doing so with one hand tied behind our backs.

The reason why we can only invest in our public services as much as we can is because, again, our budget, our fixed budget is controlled by a Westminster government. So while we will deliver the priorities of the people of Scotland, that will be to tackle the cost of living crisis, that will be to continue to invest in our public services, our NHS, of course, in particular will be to make progress on our wellbeing economy.

That does not-- we will do that in tandem with making the case for independence because independence will unleash our country's true potential. P Craig.

- Hello.

HUMZA YOUSAF: There we go.

- The turnout in this election was only 70%. So 30% of SNP members didn't even see fit to vote. What are you going to do to engage them? And is there a worry at all that membership numbers could sink even further?

HUMZA YOUSAF: No, we'll be aiming to hopefully grow those membership numbers. And I hope people are inspired not just by the contest and hopefully by the outcome as well. I hope people will join the SNP as the vehicle that will deliver independence for Scotland. In terms of the 70%, I think it's so important for not just me, but the team, the SNP team, to make sure we are putting the independent drive into fifth gear.

Our members are inspired and they'll be inspired undoubtedly by the drive to independence. We inspire people not by getting stuck in a quagmire of protest and talking about Section 30s and de facto referendums. They get inspired by talking about policy. And I've got-- I hope the skills and the ability to be able to inspire people with a vision for independence. I believe that will help us to increase our membership numbers, but also make sure all of our members are involved in that campaign.

I think we have Steve Graham from AFP. I think we've got some international media back. There's a microphone coming to you.

- Thanks. I was just wondering with independence, do you have a timeline of when you'd like to see that happen? And how would you convince those-- you seem to be stuck on 45%. They're simply the same figures in 2014. Many people I speak to are not convinced about the economic plan the SNP has. How are you going to reassure those people and make them feel comfort that it's in their interest to vote for independence?

HUMZA YOUSAF: That's a good question. So our colleagues in the Scottish media have been asking me this for five weeks time and I'll give you the same answer that I give them, which is, of course process while it is important. The key to getting independence is ensuring we have that consistent majority support for independence. We have that settled well for independence. If we have that, the political obstacles that are put in our-- are put in our way by Westminster, well, they will disappear.

So the concentration will be on kickstarting that civic-led, grassroots, people-led movement and growing consistent support for independence. And, of course, the economic plan is absolutely key to that. So we have, of course, published papers already on that. But I think we've got more work absolutely to do to convince people that we wouldn't be standing here if that wasn't the case.

So one of the first things I'll get on with doing as well is governing and delivering and governing well, I hope. It will also be to make sure we kick start that independence movement. Maria or Maria, forgive me, from Al Jazeera. No. OK. I'll keep going. We've got Alan Smith from [INAUDIBLE].

ALAN SMITH: Congratulations. In response to the question from Colin, you said in terms of uniting the party speaking with both Kate and Ash, does that mean they'll be room around your cabinet table for both of your leadership rivals? And just secondly, in terms of the vote just over 26,000, first and second preference votes means you become SNP leader, ultimately becoming First Minister.

What do you see then in response to opposition parties who will claim that you have no mandate to govern and perhaps there should be an election?

So, look, I salute the fact that you've been asking me for weeks now, Alan, for exclusive on my cabinet. That is something, of course, that I'll be giving consideration to in announcing in due course. But I've never shied away from seeing both Kate and Ash, are not just exceptional talents within our party but have clearly got a role to play and continued role in Scottish public life.

In terms of the mandate, of course, Parliament will have its say tomorrow. Although I am party leader at the moment, there will be a vote and there will be an opportunity for the opposition to put their candidate forward. It is not by coincidence or somehow good fortune that we are the largest party in that Scottish Parliament that is down to the fact that the people of Scotland have given us that mandate, have put their trust in us.

And tomorrow, as I say, I will be one of the nominees certainly to be First Minister of Scotland. And others will have their chance too. Jack from "Global Radio".

- Congratulations. You take over leader of the SNP at a time when there are a lot of question marks over the party's finances. There have been renewed reports over the weekend over accusations of quite murky financial dealings there. What are you going to do as leader to reassure the members of your party but also the people in Scotland who are concerned about that and to reassure them that this isn't an issue?

HUMZA YOUSAF: Well, again, I suspect they'll get up to speed very quickly on the financial health of the party. It's not something I've obviously been involved in, not holding an office, be in a position within the party. But what I would say is that our party will be transparent in terms of the finances. And, of course, I couldn't comment on what is a live investigation either. But I suspect it will be one of the very first conversations I have as party leader to understand the financial health of the SNP.

We'll go to some colleagues as well, Paul, "The Daily Record".

- Hi there. You're going to lead a government that is struggling on a range of fronts. And your party is under police investigation over its finances. And the chief executive resigned after lies were told about membership numbers. So haven't you got the worst job in Scottish politics?

HUMZA YOUSAF: I've got the best job in Scottish politics by far, the honor and the privilege of not just leading the SNP, but potentially being Scotland's next First Minister. I inherited a party that is the most popular in Scotland by quite some distance. I head a party that has the largest membership by quite some considerable distance.

I have inherited a leader, the government that has a record of achievement that would be the envy of any other government, not just across these islands but in many other parts of the world too. Other challenges, you betcha, and government that always are.

I've been in government for 10 and 1/2 years. I've never been in a portfolio, I've never seen a portfolio where there aren't challenges, but that is why we step up. We step up to lead and I hope by governing well, we will also lead people to Independence. "The Sun", Rachel.

- Thank you. Just on you have said that you want to unite Scotland on this. But then you in the hustings, you spoke a lot about independence referendum. You were asked questions about five years, for example, would Scotland be independent within five years. You said you want to govern for all Scotland and represent everyone, no matter their political beliefs. How do you square that? Are you not just going to be as divisive as Nicola Sturgeon felt she was when she left?

HUMZA YOUSAF: Well, again Nicola Sturgeon enjoyed huge amounts of support. Her leadership through the COVID pandemic in particular saw so many people who told me certainly on the doorsteps that they wouldn't even have contemplated voting for the SNP, but it's the leadership that she showed during that period. And so too must I, and the government that I lead, we must show leadership. We must deliver for the priorities of the people of Scotland.

I've already outlined what I think those priorities are. If we do that, then we win the trust of people. We win the trust of people, they will undoubtedly be persuaded by our message on independence. So we can do both. We can both campaign for independence. I don't think anybody would expect the leader of the SNP to say anything other than that. But we can also make sure that we deliver rightly for the people of Scotland and their priorities too.

We've got "The National", Abby.

- Hi there. Hi, Humza, congratulations. I just wanted to ask a quick couple of questions. So obviously, everything goes well tomorrow. Hi, I'm over here. Obviously, everything goes well tomorrow, you will be First Minister. So what is the first thing you're going to do to bring Scotland closer to independence?

And obviously, you've done an interview with our newspaper during the campaign. And you said that your cabinet, which I know you said you didn't want to give away today, that you would appoint a minister for independence. So just wondering if you had made any decisions on that yet?

HUMZA YOUSAF: Well, I will stick to those commitments that I made, of course, during the campaign trail. For me, one of the first things I want to do is see how we kickstart that civic-led campaign for independence. It's got to be a grassroots-led. It can't just be political leaders sitting in a room, devising strategies on the way forward.

As important as the leadership is of those who belong in the independence movement, has got to be a civic-led, people-led movement that drives forward the campaign for independence.

In terms of cabinet ministerial appointments, of course, I'll make them known in due course. "Daily Mail", Michael Blackley.

- Hi, hello. In terms of two issues that have divided the country, you talk about reaching out to non-yes voters, two of the key issues have been the continued push for independence, which you've talked quite substantially about today. Will you continue to use public money and civil service time drawing up the prospectus for independence? And on the GRR bill, will you be challenging the UK government Section 35 order?

HUMZA YOUSAF: So generally, I think when a party wins an election and suddenly as the SNP has, has every right, of course, to make sure it makes good on the promises and its manifesto. And we will do that. And, of course, the civil service will help us to deliver on all of our manifesto, which includes, of course, independence. We won the election quite comprehensively in 2021.

So just as the UK government have the right to use their civil service to pursue their ambitions around the constitution, it should be no surprise that we will work with the civil service to do the same for independence.

In terms of the GRR bill, I've made my position absolutely clear under Section 35. I see it as a as a as a veto, as a power grab by the UK government. I don't think they have any right to have used that section 35 power. Given that the majority of Holyrood of course backed the GRR battle. So of course my first principle, my starting principle is to challenge that section 35 order. Peter, I've been waiting patiently from ITV [INAUDIBLE]. Is a microphone coming to Peter? Or you can project if you wish. Is that microphone coming?

- [INAUDIBLE]

- Hope this is worth waiting for.

HUMZA YOUSAF: So do I.

- When you were in Dumfries in March campaigning, you said we should plant our flag in the ground right here to let people know that they are not forgotten, people in the Southwest and South of Scotland. And secondly, that we intend to persuade every single person of the merits of independence. That's why I want to start the campaign for independence right here. So firstly, how do you persuade people in the South of Scotland, they haven't been forgotten. And secondly, when will you be going to Dumfries to launch your campaign?

Very soon. Because I believe that the only way we win in our independence is persuading those, of course, who voted no and are still not persuaded by the case for independence. And therefore we have to take the case to not just Dumfries and Galloway, to the borders to the South of Scotland.

And we do that again by going well. We make sure that there are opportunities for people in the South of Scotland. We make sure we invest in the infrastructure in the South of Scotland. We make sure we support the being economy of the South of Scotland. And we do that by governing well.

Forgive me, I've just been told minutes ago that I'm leader of the SNP. I'll need to check the diary, but I'll be getting to Dumfries as soon as I possibly can. I'll need to leave it there, because there are a range of other commitments that I have to make.

I want to thank you again, to the members of the SNP, to our parliamentarians who are seated here, to our campaign team, and most importantly, to my family for all of the support and all the encouragement that they have given me. We have a lot of work to do and get on with, so I suggest we get on with it. Thank you very much.

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