SCOTLAND’S first minister Humza Yousaf has appeared on the front cover of Time magazine which described him as one of the 10 “trailblazers shaping the future”.
The recognition came on the eve of his Scottish National Party’s bigger-than-expected defeat in a parliamentary seat on the outskirts of Glasgow.
Yousaf, born to Pakistani immigrants, became Scotland’s leader in March this year following his predecessor Nicola Sturgeon’s dramatic resignation. While he is the first person from an ethnic minority background to be in the role, his early days in office were marked by Sturgeon’s brief arrest and an ongoing police investigation into his party’s finances. The SNP also suffered internal divisions and its stated ambition of an independent Scotland has not been finding popular support.
The Time article called Yousaf “the new face of Scotland” and lists him among its “rising stars”.
Actress Florence Pugh, racing driver Jamie Chadwick, drag queen Pattie Gonia and Ghanaian visual artist Prince Gyasi were among the other “next-generation leaders” featured in the magazine.
In an accompanying article in the American magazine, Yousaf said, “The way we shift the dial on independence is to give people a little bit of hope, and I believe the SNP can absolutely do that”.
“The challenge over the past few months, to be frank, and to be blunt, is that we’ve not been able to get cut through because of other events that have dominated the party space.”
He posted the cover page of the magazine on X on Thursday (5), with the message: “Being the first Muslim to lead a Western nation means a lot to me. I hope it also inspires others, particularly when multiculturalism is portrayed by some as a weakness. In Scotland, I am proud we are a welcoming nation & our diversity is seen as one of our greatest strengths.”
But his party’s defeat in the parliamentary by-election for the Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency only highlighted the challenges he is facing ahead of the next general election.
The Labour Party described the result as “seismic” saying it delivered the message that “it is time for change”.
Bob Blackman MP speaks during the event