ALBAWABA - Scottish Minister of Health Humza Yousaf is slated to run for the position of next prime minister, to succeed Nicola Sturgeon, who recently and suddenly resigned.
The minister, who is of Pakistani origin and Muslim, said that he is looking forward to running for the position of the next first minister (commonly named as prime minister) in Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP).
He posted the announcement on his Twitter account.
A huge decision to make, but with the support & love of my family, I have decided to put myself forward as a candidate to become Scotland's next First Minister, and Leader of the SNP.
— Humza Yousaf (@HumzaYousaf) February 18, 2023
See my video below for some of the reasons why I believe I am the right person for the job ? pic.twitter.com/aDbVUe568E
Yousaf, who is the son of immigrants who arrived in the United Kingdom during the 1960s, was the first to announce his intention to run for the position after First Minister Sturgeon revealed, short time ago, that she is going resign after eight years of heading the government.
Sturgeon indicated that she would step down once SNP appoints her successor.
For his part, John Sweeney, Deputy Prime Minister of Scotland, ruled himself out of the race on Thursday.
SNP is supposed to choose a new leader within six weeks through a ballot of its members, which closes on Mar.27.
Yousaf, 37, has been a member of Parliament since 2011, and has held several ministerial positions, the latest of which was Minister of Health.
In 2012, at the age of 27, he became the first non-white and first Muslim member of the Scottish government. He became the first person from an ethnic minority in Scotland and the first Muslim cabinet minister, when he was appointed Cabinet Secretary for Justice in 2018.
