Humza Yousaf news, interviews and updates on former first minister
He first entered Holyrood in 2011 and has remained in the parliament ever since then, although he plans to step down at the next election.
Yousaf resigned as Scotland's first minister last year after ending the Bute House Agreement with the Scottish Greens.
Read on for all the latest Humza Yousaf news, interviews and updates on the former first minister.
Humza Yousaf news and updates
Scotland's oil profits 'must not be used to exploit citizens in Gaza'
'Scotland is not an island of strangers', says Humza Yousaf
UK Government slammed after trade envoy Ian Austin visits Israel
When did Humza Yousaf enter politics?
Born and raised in Glasgow, Yousaf studied politics at the University of Glasgow before working as a parliamentary assistant for the late SNP MSP Bashir Ahmad.
Yousaf (below) was first elected as an MSP for the Glasgow region in May 2011, aged only 26, and was the youngest minister ever appointed to the Scottish Government.
He was then elected as a constituency MSP for Glasgow Pollok in 2016 – a position which he has held since.
However, Yousaf confirmed he would be stepping down as an MSP at the 2026 Holyrood election.
He announced the news in December 2024, saying that the 'time will be right for me to move on'.
'I could never have imagined the incredible political journey I have been on,' Yousaf added in a statement.
When did Humza Yousaf become first minister?
Yousaf has held several ministerial roles in the Scottish Government, including as minister for Europe and International Development and for transport and Scotland's islands.
He also served as justice secretary from 2018 to 2021 and as health secretary from 2021 until 2023.
The Glasgow MSP succeeded Nicola Sturgeon (below) as first minister in 2023, becoming the first person of colour to hold the office and the first Muslim leader of a western democracy.
(Image: PA)
Following Sturgeon's resignation, he fought a leadership contest against now-Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes and Ash Regan – who now serves as Alba's leader in Holyrood after defecting from the SNP.
Humza Yousaf resignation
Yousaf announced he would step down as first minister and as leader of the SNP on April 29, 2024.
He held the position for a little over a year but resigned after ending the power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens and was succeeded by John Swinney.
At the time, he had also been facing a confidence vote in his leadership tabled by the Tories and a separate bid by Scottish Labour expressing no confidence in the Government as a whole.
Speaking when he announced his resignation, Yousaf said: 'Unfortunately in ending the Bute House Agreement in the manner I did I clearly underestimated the level of hurt and upset that caused Green colleagues.
'For a minority government to be able to govern effectively, trust when working with the opposition is clearly fundamental.'
Humza Yousaf Gaza
Yousaf has consistently called for a ceasefire in Gaza, with Israel's bombardment having killed tens of thousands of people.
He has also called for an end for arms exports to Israel and has spoken at pro-Palestine demonstrations.
His in-laws returned to Scotland in November 2023 after being trapped for four weeks in Gaza.
His wife Nadia El-Nakla's parents had spent time trapped in Gaza in a house where 100 people were sheltering, including a child of two months old.
Before getting out, they had travelled to the border in an attempt to leave on three previous occasions.
At the time, Yousaf said his brother-in-law, a hospital doctor, and his family remained in Gaza as did his wife's stepmother and grandmother.
Elon Musk feud
Yousaf has also been engaged in several clashes on Twitter/X with its owner Elon Musk.
This started in October 2023 when Musk accused Yousaf of being a 'blatant racist' after the tech billionaire shared a highly selective clip of the SNP MSP when he was justice secretary.
In August 2024, Yousaf accused Musk of 'amplifying white supremacy' after the Twitter/X owner said civil war is 'inevitable' in the UK following riots in England and Northern Ireland.
Following this, there were then reports that Yousaf had issued a legal warning to Musk, who responded by calling the MSP a 'scumbag'.
Humza Yousaf wife
Yousaf is married to Dundee councillor Nadia El-Nakla. They announced the birth of their second child in July.
Outside of politics
Away from politics, Yousaf volunteered for community radio for 12 years and on a charitable project providing foot packages to homeless people and asylum seekers in Glasgow.
He is a supporter of Celtic FC and regularly shows his support for the Scotland National Team.
Humza Yousaf scooter
Yousaf was captured on film falling off a knee scooter while he was travelling through one of the Scottish Parliament's corridors in 2021 following First Minister's Questions.
The MSP had ruptured his Achilles while playing badminton days before the incident and had been getting around Holyrood using the alternative to crutches.
The clip was shared by BBC Scotland political editor Glenn Campbell who said: 'The Health Secretary @HumzaYousaf does not appear to be having a good day at work …'
Yousaf replied to Campbell and questioned his decision to post the video.
He said: "All for media scrutiny and never shy away from it. Just not sure there is need or purpose to tweet out a video of me falling over while injured.
"If anyone else had fallen over while on crutches, a knee scooter, or in a wheelchair would your first instinct be to film it and tweet out?"
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