Humza Yousaf MSP is no stranger to scrutiny.
Since he took post as the Health Secretary last May, there have been many issues which have led to criticism.
And when we asked readers to submit questions, some didn’t hold back.
But how does he answer his critics?
What does he consider his biggest professional success?
And what is his stark warning to others who are considering a life in politics?
As part of our exclusive interview with him, we asked Mr Yousaf what it’s like having every move and decision questioned.
When we asked readers to submit questions for him some asked if he intended to resign, questioned his qualifications and his ability for the Health Secretary role.
He says: “I genuinely don’t mind people criticising – that’s their prerogative and their right.
‘I wasn’t booted out’
“It’s been less than a year now since I put myself to the verdict of the Scottish people. I was re-elected and my majority increased.
“That tells me if I believed all the nasty things on social media I would have been booted out in a minute.
“Actually I wasn’t booted out in a minute I was re-elected and significantly so.
“I can’t genuinely remember a time from the moment I got elected to now, that I’ve not faced either criticism, abuse, racism, Islamophobia or indeed threats.
“This is not just me, I talk to people of colour across the party divide. People of colour face more abuse than our white counterparts in high profile positions.
“Don’t get me wrong – that’s not to say I shouldn’t be criticised, I shouldn’t be told that you’re terrible, or we don’t like you.
“Most of what I see on social media comes from a fairly partisan perspective.
Sinister side of life in the public eye
“I take no exception to criticism, but I do take exception to abuse.”
That sinister side of life as a high profile politician, is, he reveals, something he’s had to face both publicly and in his personal life.
So much so that he has issued warnings to other people considering a political life.
“I’m brutally honest to black, Asian and people from ethnic minorities who want to stand.
“There’s council elections coming up. I would encourage them, we need more diversity. But I’m honest and say, if you’re elected, you will be more of a target because of your colour.
“I am now 10 years elected, I’ve developed a thick skin. But I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t admit it impacts me or my family.”
Counter-terror police
He points to the recent example of the story concerning his daughter’s placement at nursery, which attracted online abuse.
He adds: “I have coping mechanisms, I take precautions, but it’s not nice.”
Those precautions include a booklet from counter-terror police, which sits on his desk, containing advice on how to keep safe.
He reveals: “They’ve been to my house now two or three occasions, we’ve had to beef up our security – it’s not a nice way to live.
“But it’s about my kids, I have to protect them.”
“I’m a father, a husband. Having a go at my wife or kids who’ve done nothing… it’s hard.”
“It does have an impact. I’m a father, a husband. Having a go at my wife or my kids who’ve done nothing in all of this. It’s hard.”
Other low points came with the emergence of new Covid variant Omicron just before Christmas, he says, when it looked like lockdowns might emerge again.
But he’s in no doubt about the high points of his first year in office.
“I’m really proud of the effort our vaccinators made over the course of autumn and winter. At one point, we were third fastest in the world,” he says.
“I take great pride in that programme.
“And, recently, the reimbursement bill for those who had suffered from transvaginal mesh implants was a real high.
“To get that passed unanimously goes some small way in rectifying the wrongs done to those women.
“There have been plenty highs and lows –Â but there will be plenty more to come, I suspect.”
- Look out for the answers Humza Yousaf gave to your questions, in the third part of The Courier’s exclusive interview with him, next week.
