Humza Haroon Yousaf is a Scottish politician serving as Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care since 2021. He is the first South Asian and first Muslim cabinet minister in the Scottish Government. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), he has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Glasgow Pollok since 2016, having previously represented Glasgow region from 2011 to 2016. On 18 February 2023, Yousaf declared his candidacy for SNP leadership and First Minister of Scotland.
Born and raised in Glasgow, Yousaf attended the University of Glasgow, where he earned an MA in politics in 2007. After graduating he worked as a parliamentary assistant for Bashir Ahmad, the first Muslim MSP, until his death two years later. Yousaf went on to work for First Minister Alex Salmond and Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, before being elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2011. The following year, Yousaf was appointed the Minister for External Affairs and International Development under Salmond's government. When Sturgeon succeeded Salmond as First Minister in 2014, she appointed him the Minister for Europe and International Development, before appointing him the Minister for Transport and the Islands in 2016. As part of a wider cabinet reshuffle of Sturgeon's second administration, she appointed Yousaf to the Scottish Cabinet as the Justice Secretary. In 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland, he was appointed the Health Secretary, task forced with the responsibility of the COVID-19 vaccination programme and the NHS' recovery.
Following the announcement of Sturgeon's intention to resign as the leader of the SNP and First Minister of Scotland, Yousaf declared his candidacy for the 2023 leadership election.
