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7 times Dundee’s Humza Yousaf hit the headlines – from suing nursery to fall as first minister

The ex-SNP leader announced he plans to leave Holyrood at the next election, less than eight months after quitting the top job.

Former First Minister Humza Yousaf. Image: PA.
Former First Minister Humza Yousaf. Image: PA.

Dundee-based Humza Yousaf has never been far from controversy during his rollercoaster 13 years in Holyrood.

The former SNP leader had a meteoric rise to become Scotland’s youngest ever first minister before losing the job a year later.

Here we look at seven of his most memorable moments as he plans to leave the Scottish Parliament in 2026.

1. Driving without insurance – while transport minister

Mr Yousaf was aged just 27 when he was given his first ministerial job in 2012.

Four years later he was rewarded with the hefty transport brief.

But it was that same year Mr Yousaf first hit the headlines for the wrong reasons.

In December 2016 he was caught driving a friend’s car without insurance.

Mr Yousaf admitted to the offence and said it was an “honest mistake”.

2. Suing Dundee nursery

Mr Yousaf was born in Glasgow and has always served the city in Holyrood.

But he moved to Dundee in 2018 to live with Nadia El-Nakla, now his wife, who is also an SNP councillor.

Humza Yousaf and Nadia El-Nakla
Humza Yousaf and his wife, councillor Nadia El-Nakla. Image: PA.

The couple sued a Broughty Ferry nursery in 2021 over allegations bosses had discriminated against letting in Ms El-Nakla’s daughter.

A complaint to the Care Inspectorate against Little Scholars was partly upheld.

The Courier revealed how the full report set out that, rather than discrimination over race, inspectors criticised the nursery’s “chaotic approach” to managing applications.

Mr Yousaf and his wife dropped legal action in 2023.

3. Rise to become first minister

Mr Yousaf quickly became the frontrunner to succeed Nicola Sturgeon when she quit in February last year.

He was backed by senior SNP figures including John Swinney and Stephen Flynn.

Humza Yousaf beat Kate Forbes to become first minister. Image: PA.

The contest became heated as leadership rival Kate Forbes claimed Mr Yousaf had failed in all his major government jobs.

He narrowly defeated her in the final vote to become Scotland’s first ever Asian and Muslim head of government.

4. In-laws trapped in Gaza

Mr Yousaf’s in-laws were visiting family in Palestine when terrorist group Hamas killed more than 1,000 Israelis last October.

Ms El-Nakla’s parents, who also live in Dundee, spent weeks trapped in Gaza while the city was bombarded by Israel.

Humza Yousaf’s in-laws escaped from war-torn Gaza. Image supplied by Humza Yousaf/X.

The Dundee councillor feared she would never see her parents again as they were left without fresh drinking water.

The former first minister’s in-laws were eventually able to escape to safety and return home.

Mr Yousaf hailed the support his family received from the Dundee community.

5. Targeted by racist graffiti in Dundee

The ex-SNP leader has been on the receiving end of horrific racist abuse during his time in politics.

In 2021 he was sent sickening death threats in a series of emails.

racist graffiti aimed at Humza Yousaf on Hamilton Street, Broughty Ferry in April.
The abuse aimed at Humza Yousaf on Hamilton Street in April.

In April this year racist graffiti aimed at him was sprayed on a wall near his Broughty Ferry home.

Mr Yousaf condemned the abuse and admitted it was difficult to shield his young children from anti-Muslim hate.

6. Fall as first minister

Mr Yousaf never had an easy time as first minister.

The week after he took power Ms Sturgeon’s husband Peter Murrell was arrested.

One thorny problem Mr Yousaf had to constantly wrestle with was his party’s fraught power-sharing deal with the Greens.

Humza Yousaf’s decision to ditch the Greens cost him his job. Image: PA.

In April he made the bold decision to ditch the Bute House Agreement forged by his predecessor three years earlier.

His vengeful former allies made it clear they would be willing to bring him down.

Mr Yousaf vowed to struggle on as he made a visit to a delayed, overbudget housing development in Dundee.

But the writing was on the wall and days later a tearful Mr Yousaf resigned.

Perthshire MSP Mr Swinney soon replaced him.

7. Feud with Elon Musk

Even since returning to the backbenches Mr Yousaf has never been far from the headlines.

That includes a high-profile spat with Elon Musk.

Elon Musk has been in a spat with Humza Yousaf.

Mr Yousaf called the controversial billionaire, who owns social media site X, “one of the most dangerous men on the planet”.

Mr Musk – now a close ally of Donald Trump – hit back by saying Mr Yousaf was “super, super racist”, referring to a speech the ex-first minister made on racism in Holyrood.

Last month, Mr Yousaf sensationally accused Mr Musk of “scouring” his private messages on the social media platform.


Read more: Humza Yousaf to quit Holyrood

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