Humza Yousaf
Humza Yousaf was the First Minister of Scotland from 2023 to 24, the first Muslim leader of a Western European country and the youngest First Minister in Scotland’s history.
He was appointed as Minister for External Affairs and International Development in 2012, and later served as a Minister for Europe, Minister for Transport, as well as Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Health & Social Care. First elected as an MSP for Glasgow in 2011, he was elected in 2016 to serve Glasgow Pollok, becoming the first ethnic minority Member of the Scottish Parliament to be directly elected to a constituency.
After 15 years in politics, including 12 years in government, he has announced his decision to step down from frontline politics in May 2026.
Outside politics, Humza has been involved in community work, from youth organisations to charity fundraising for most of his life. He also volunteered for community radio for 12 years and founded a charitable project providing food packages to homeless people and asylum seekers in Glasgow.
Join Our Mailing List
By submitting this form you agree to our Privacy Policy and to receive marketing emails, including e-newsletters and event updates from Bradford Literature Festival.