Humza Yousaf: The key moments, trials and tribulations - Operation Branchform, gender reform, Gaza, Michael Matheson

Humza Yousaf’s leadership faced turmoil from the beginning

When Humza Yousaf took on the role of First Minister in March last year, it was never going to be a straightforward path.

Just four months earlier, the Supreme Court ruled the Scottish Parliament did not have the power to legislate for a referendum on Scottish independence. Mr Yousaf’s leadership contest had meanwhile been blighted by Operation Branchform – a Police Scotland investigation into SNP finances, which saw SNP chief executive Peter Murrell resign less than two weeks before the new First Minister was selected.

Here are the key moments and issues that characterised Mr Yousaf’s premiership.

First Minister Humza Yousaf reading through his speech before heading to the stage at the SNP independence convention at Caird Hall in Dundee. Picture: Jane Barlow/PA Wire

Operation Branchform

The Police Scotland investigation into SNP finances began in July 2021, almost two years before Mr Yousaf took up the role of First Minister.

However, the resignation of Mr Murrell – Ms Sturgeon’s husband – from his chief executive role during the leadership campaign was an indication of the problems to come. His resignation came amid a row over the party’s membership numbers, which also led to media chief Murray Foote stepping down.

Just a week after Mr Yousaf took office, Mr Murrell was arrested by police and days later, a luxury campervan believed to be parked at the home of Mr Murrell’s mother was seized.

Humza Yousaf has faced a turbulent year as First Minister.

Later that month, party treasurer Colin Beattie was arrested and interviewed by police, before being released without charge, pending further enquiries.

Then, in June, Ms Sturgeon was also arrested and questioned as part of the investigation into the party’s finances, before being released without charge. Mr Murrell was earlier this month charged with embezzlement in relation to the long-running police investigation.

Supreme Court judgement and independence

When Mr Yousaf took power, it was just four months after the Supreme Court judgement that ruled the Scottish Parliament did not have the power to legislate for a referendum on Scottish independence. His predecessor, Nicola Sturgeon, said the court did “not make law, it only interprets it” and vowed to press ahead with her independence drive.

During his first meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Mr Yousaf requested a section 30 order to hold a second referendum on Scottish independence – a request that was firmly rejected.

Gaza

In the early days of the Gaza conflict, Mr Yousaf was a lone voice in calling for a ceasefire to protect civilians in the territory. This position came in contrast to Westminster and other Western governments, which pledged support for Israel in the wake of the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7.

It emerged within days that close family members of Mr Yousaf’s wife, Nadia El-Nakla, were in Gaza at the time of the attacks. Her parents, Maged and Elizabeth El-Nakla, had been there visiting her grandmother and brother, who live in Gaza.

The family’s personal situation was propelled further into the public eye as the Israeli government’s retaliatory attacks on Gaza were beginning, when Ms El-Nakla ran into a live press conference in tears, telling Mr Yousaf the area where her parents were taking shelter had been badly bombed and she feared for their safety.

Her parents survived the attack and were later allowed to leave Gaza, along with other foreign passport holders.

Last month, the First Minister hit out at suggestions he may have had a conflict of interest in sending funding to Gaza, saying he had “battled insinuations” of links to terrorism because of his race.

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Gender reform court battle

In December last year, the Scottish Government lost a court battle with the UK government over gender reform legislation.

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack had initially prevented the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill from gaining royal assent. The legislation had attempted to simplify the process for transgender people to obtain a gender recognition certificate and officially change their legally-recognised sex.

But the UK government ruled it could have an adverse impact on equalities legislation across the UK.

Scottish ministers challenged Mr Jack’s decision to block the legislation, but the Court of Session ruled he had acted lawfully. The Scottish Government later said it would not appeal the ruling.

Michael Matheson iPad row

Mr Yousaf’s health secretary Michael Matheson ran up a data roaming bill on a parliamentary iPad worth almost £11,000 – caused by his sons using the device to watch football during a family holiday to Morocco. The minister initially wrote the cost off on expenses, before later agreeing to cover the amount himself.

Mr Matheson eventually resigned as health secretary in February, But Mr Yousaf has faced criticism for not forcing the former minister to stand down as an MSP – a role he still holds.

The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) – the cross-party authority tasked with the running of the Parliament – last month ruled Mr Matheson had broken the code of conduct for members over his handling of the bill.

The SPCB referred his case to Holyrood’s standards, procedures and public appointments committee to consider sanctions, with a determination expected soon.

Council tax

In his first major SNP conference speech as leader in October, Mr Yousaf announced council tax would be frozen to help people cope with the cost-of-living crisis.

The First Minister scrapped proposals to hike council tax by as much as 22.5 per cent for homes in higher bands, which could have raised an additional £176 million for local authorities.

Council leaders warned the move could have “longer-term implications” on services provided by councils at a time when local authorities are already struggling to eke out their budgets amid rising costs.

This was also arguably the beginning of the end of Mr Yousaf’s bromance with the Scottish Greens, with whom the SNP was in a power sharing agreement. Co-leader Patrick Harvie said in January that local authorities were “blindsided” by the announcement and agreed to accept the SNP Budget, despite pointing out the decision would not have been his party’s choice.