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Humza Yousaf, Scotland leader with Kenyan roots, resigns

Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf speaks during a press conference at Bute House, his official residence, in Edinburgh, Britain, on April 29, 2024. (Photo: Andrew Milligan/Pool/Reuters)

By Abdirahman Khalif | 29 Apr 2024

Humza's resignation came shortly after he terminated the governing coalition between the SNP and the Scottish Greens.

Humza Yousaf, the first-ever Muslim leader of a Western European country, has stepped down as leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and the country's first minister.

Humza's resignation came shortly after he terminated the governing coalition between the SNP and the Scottish Greens. He faced two no-confidence motions from opposition parties, which he seemed poised to lose.

"I am not willing to trade my values and principles or do deals with whomever simply to retain power," he said.

Humza added that he had "underestimated" the level of hurt after ending a power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens last week.

Humza declined an opportunity to negotiate with Ash Regan, the only member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) from the Alba Party, a move that could have potentially helped him secure support in a confidence vote and retain his position as first minister.

Regan, who switched from the SNP in 2022, remarked that it's "strange" how certain elements within Humza Yousaf's party prefer his resignation over engaging with a party committed to advancing independence.

Two years ago, he made history as the first ethnic minority leader of a devolved government and the first Muslim to lead a major UK party.

His father is originally from Pakistan and emigrated to Scotland with his family in the 1960s, while his mother was born into a South Asian family in Kenya.