Humza Yousaf says he is prepared to ‘p*** off some people’ with his choices in Government

He was challenged over a perceived lack of conviction during a live recording of the Holyrood Sources podcast

Humza Yousaf

Humza Yousaf has said he is prepared to “p*** off some people” by choosing sides on big issues when he sets out his priorities in Government.

The First Minister was accused of lacking conviction during a live recording of the Holyrood Sources podcast.

Geoff Aberdein, one of the hosts and a former chief of staff to ex-First Minister Alex Salmond, said Mr Yousaf had been trying to find the path of least resistance on key issues.

"You’re trying to appeal to everyone, you’re trying to not p*** off everyone, and when you do that you don’t appeal to anyone, in my experience,” he said.

Mr Yousaf said most politicians ended up becoming “people-pleasers”, adding: “But you absolutely, as a leader, as First Minister, you have to have conviction and choose a side.

“There's a number of issues where in the Programme for Government, it will be completely clear. If I give you one example, or one issue – I think the biggest existential issue our planet faces – and that's the climate emergency.

“You can’t sit on the fence, you can’t be mealy-mouthed about it. You have to pick a side.”

He added: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a summer where every single week you've seen, with such visibility, the impact of climate emergency right across the world. And you’ve a Prime Minister literally saying that he's on the side of the motorist, sitting in Margaret Thatcher’s old Rolls Royce and making it a wedge issue. Now you've got Kier Starmer, saying he’ll roll back on ultra-low emission zones.

“This is a time for politicians to take more action to tackle the climate emergency not less actions. So, yes, I will be choosing sides because that's what you have to do and frankly that’s going to p*** off some people.”

Mr Yousaf suggested Kate Forbes, his SNP leadership rival, could not be his Finance Secretary partly because the pair had “some differences around progressive taxation” – a further hint that he is preparing to raise taxes.

Elsewhere, he said the SNP is going through one of the most challenging times it has ever faced amid the police investigation into the party’s finances. However, he said it could get worse before it gets better. He said: ”To be frank, we don't know what the future holds either. It could be more challenging before it gets easier.”

The First Minister said the police probe had cut through with voters on the doorstep.

He also waded into the row over Baillie Gifford, one of the sponsors of the Edinburgh International Book Festival. More than 50 authors have called on the event to cut ties with the firm over its investment in fossil fuels.

Mr Yousaf said: "I know for a fact that we would not have an Edinburgh International Book Festival if it wasn't for sponsors like Baillie Gifford and others."

On independence, he said “there is just no short cut” if the UK Government continues to block a second referendum.

He said the only way to break the logjam would be to “shift the dial considerably”. He said: “We can’t be at anywhere between 45 and 52 per cent, 53 per cent – we’re going to have to shift the dial considerably in order for people power to say we’re not going to accept a continued denial from Westminster. That’s the only way to do it.”