Humza Yousaf Wins Race to Be Scotland’s Next Leader, Vowing to Revive Independence

27 March 2023, United Kingdom, Edinburgh: Former Health Secretary Humza Yousaf speaks at Murrayfield Stadium after being announced as the new Scottish National Party leader. (dpa)
27 March 2023, United Kingdom, Edinburgh: Former Health Secretary Humza Yousaf speaks at Murrayfield Stadium after being announced as the new Scottish National Party leader. (dpa)
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Humza Yousaf Wins Race to Be Scotland’s Next Leader, Vowing to Revive Independence

27 March 2023, United Kingdom, Edinburgh: Former Health Secretary Humza Yousaf speaks at Murrayfield Stadium after being announced as the new Scottish National Party leader. (dpa)
27 March 2023, United Kingdom, Edinburgh: Former Health Secretary Humza Yousaf speaks at Murrayfield Stadium after being announced as the new Scottish National Party leader. (dpa)

Scottish nationalists picked Humza Yousaf to be the country's next leader on Monday after a bitterly fought contest that exposed deep divisions in his party over policy and a stalled independence campaign.

The 37-year-old practicing Muslim succeeds Nicola Sturgeon as leader of the governing Scottish National Party (SNP) and will take over as head of the semi-autonomous government once he wins an approval vote in the Scottish parliament.

Yousaf, who will be the first Muslim to lead a country in Western Europe, said he would concentrate on tackling the cost of living crisis, ending the divisions in the party, and making a renewed push for independence.

"The people of Scotland need independence now, more than ever before and we will be the generation that delivers independence," he said in a speech in Edinburgh after the results were announced.

Yousaf's victory was confirmed at the national rugby ground after a six-week campaign where the three candidates spent much of the contest criticizing each other's record in a series of personal attacks.

The SNP's unity, which had been one of its strengths, broke down over arguments about how to achieve a second independence referendum and the best way to introduce social reforms such as transgender rights.

Yousaf takes over a party with an overriding objective to end Scotland's three-centuries-long union with England. His predecessor stepped down after the British government repeatedly blocked a route to a new vote on independence.

While about four in 10 Scots support independence, according to a poll this month, the departure of Sturgeon - a charismatic and commanding leader - may initially slow some of the momentum behind a break up of the United Kingdom.

Frontrunner

Yousaf won 52% of the vote of SNP members in the second round of counting, beating Kate Forbes, the finance secretary, who got 48%. Ash Regan, who had quit the government because of her opposition to proposed changes to gender recognition, was eliminated in the first round.

Coree Brown Swan, a lecturer in politics at Queen's University Belfast, said it would be difficult for the party to unite after a divisive leadership contest.

"It's a broad church of a party, which incorporates lots of different ideologies and opinions on things beyond independence," she said.

The frontrunner to replace Sturgeon, Yousaf has stressed continuity with her record.

Yousaf has spoken of the need to focus on building the case for independence and achieving consistent support for the movement, adding that he was open minded on which process to pursue once that level of support was achieved.

He pointed to his own background - born in Glasgow, with a father from Pakistan and mother from Kenya - and views as examples of the inclusive, socially liberal and multi-ethnic Scotland that the SNP has promoted.

During the campaign, Yousaf appeared more relaxed than Forbes, a member of the Free Church of Scotland, in balancing his religious views with the party's socially progressive policies.

In 2016, Yousaf took his oath of allegiance in the Scottish parliament in Urdu while wearing a kilt, and he has referred to himself as coming from a "bhangra and bagpipes" heritage.

Scotland voted against independence by 55% to 45% in 2014. Britain's vote to leave the EU two years later when most Scots wanted to stay, and Scotland's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, brought new support for independence.

However, an opinion poll this month showed the backing for independence dropped to 39%, or 46% when "don't knows" are excluded. That compares with a record 58% in 2020.

Asked if the British government would grant permission for Yousaf to hold an independence referendum, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesperson said its position had not changed, and people's priorities were healthcare and the economy rather than a new vote on secession.



Elevated Road Under Construction in Bangkok Collapses, At Least 5 Dead

Dangerous zone warning signs were posted to block off the area at the scene of an accident at an under-construction expressway, in Bangkok, Thailand, 15 March 2025. EPA/NARONG SANGNAK
Dangerous zone warning signs were posted to block off the area at the scene of an accident at an under-construction expressway, in Bangkok, Thailand, 15 March 2025. EPA/NARONG SANGNAK
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Elevated Road Under Construction in Bangkok Collapses, At Least 5 Dead

Dangerous zone warning signs were posted to block off the area at the scene of an accident at an under-construction expressway, in Bangkok, Thailand, 15 March 2025. EPA/NARONG SANGNAK
Dangerous zone warning signs were posted to block off the area at the scene of an accident at an under-construction expressway, in Bangkok, Thailand, 15 March 2025. EPA/NARONG SANGNAK

An elevated road being built in Thailand’s capital Bangkok collapsed, killing at least five people, officials said.
The collapse, which happened in the early morning in southwestern Bangkok, also injured 24 other people at the construction site, said Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit.
Suriya offered his condolences and said victims would be compensated by contractors and relevant agencies. He said four workers and an engineer were killed, and no road users were affected as traffic lanes near the construction were closed at the time.
Bangkok police commander Siam Boonsom said authorities were still investigating to determine the cause of the collapse and that they would pursue legal actions against those found responsible.
Photos from the site showed that large metal and concrete structures fell on the ground and completely blocked the road, The Associated Press reported.
The construction of the 5-kilometer (3-mile) elevated road started in 2022, according to project information published on the website of the Expressway Authority of Thailand.
Surachet Laophulsuk, governor of the agency, said they were working to clear the debris as quickly as they could, but he said it might take a week. He added that the contractors working on the project were ordered suspended for 14 days pending the investigation.
Road and construction safety is a major problem in Thailand. The site of Saturday’s collapse is a part of a major road connecting Bangkok to Thailand’s south, which has been a subject of controversy over its prolonged construction and frequent fatal accidents.
Suriya said the transportation ministry is in the process of issuing new regulations that would suspend contractors found liable for construction accidents and blacklist them from bidding on future government projects.