Ex-First Minister Humza Yousaf to step down as MSP at next election
Former First Minister Humza Yousaf will resign as MSP at the 2026 Holyrood elections.
The former SNP leader has been a backbencher since resigning as first minister in April.
In a letter to his successor John Swinney, Youssef said the next election would be the “right time” to leave parliament.
Glasgow Pollock MSP, who succeeds Nicola Sturgeon in March 2023, is the UK’s first ethnic minority leader in a devolved government and the first Muslim to lead a major UK party.
Yusuf noted in the letter that he will have served as MSP for 15 years by the time of the next election in 2026.
He said his resignation would “provide an opportunity for the next generation of MPs to move forward and explore where I can best contribute in the future to help solve some of the most pressing challenges facing our world”.
He added: “I hope that by becoming the first chief minister of color and the first Muslim leader in a Western democracy, I send a clear message to every young person who aspires to engage in public service, whatever their background. The message: You do belong here and you deserve a chance just as much as anyone else.”
