The leader of Scottish Labour has given a damning assessment of Humza Yousaf’s leadership on the anniversary of the SNP leadership race.
Anas Sarwar has used the milestone to describe the First Minister as a “weak leader” overseeing a “divided party”.
Releasing their paper, 50 Failures of Humza Yousaf: A Year of Chaos and Incompetence, a newly invigorated Scottish Labour attacks Yousaf’s record across housing, health, education and more.
Speaking at a campaign event with newly selected Edinburgh East candidate, Chris Murray, Sarwar says even the First Minister’s own party have concerns about his capability.
“You can hear it from the murmurings of his own MPs and MSPs,” says Sarwar, “they don’t think he’s up to the job, they don’t think they can cut it and they think their party is on the way down.”
He continues: “They recognise that there is incompetence now and that incompetence has consequences.”
Anas Sarwar claimed even SNP politicians "don’t think he’s up to the job"
GB NEWS
As Nicola Sturgeon’s continuity candidate, Humza Yousaf took over as leader of theScottish National Party with 52.1 per cent of the final vote, seeing off competition from Ash Regan and Kate Forbes.
Ash Regan has since left the SNP to join Alex Salmond’s Alba Party, at the time referencing a newly surfaced “difference of opinion that’s opened up” with the SNP’s independence policy.
Former Finance Secretary Kate Forbes remains on the party backbenches representing Skye and Lochaber, but as Anas Sarwar eludes to, she remains unimpressed by Humza Yousaf’s leadership.
“I think he’s a nice guy,” begins the Scottish Labour leader, “but I don’t think he’s up to the job.
“But don’t take my word for it: listen to many of his former colleagues in government; listen to many of his former colleagues around the cabinet table; listen to many of his backbench MPs and MSPs.
“You’ve got Kate Forbes saying he has no vision and plan for the country.
Humza Yousaf took over as leader of theScottish National Party with 52.1 per cent of the final vote
PA
“You have many people across the UK - Pete Wishart and many people here -questioning his strategy and his language and his message.”
Sarwar wasn’t the only opposition leader to use today to hold Yousaf to account for his leadership record so far.
While Scottish Labour came up with 50 failures of Yousaf, Scottish Tories published a paper listing 119.
Leader of the opposition in Holyrood, Douglas Ross, focussed on five key areas that Yousaf’s government has failed the Scottish people in its first year: a contracted Scottish economy; every single A&E target being missed; publishing nine independence papers costing the taxpayer £134,000; 185,000 recorded crimes with a rise in violent and sexual offences; and 12,400 trains already cancelled by the newly nationalised Scotrail.
Currently the Moray Conservative MP and MSP, until the next election, Douglas Ross says Yousaf’s first year as SNP leader "has been nothing short of a disaster for him, his party and – most importantly – the people of Scotland.”
He says: “It’s a tale of independence obsession, abject failures and broken promises; of a First Minister out of his depth and unable to control his feuding, scandal-ridden party.
“Humza Yousaf has ignored the real priorities of Scots – fixing our ailing public services and growing the economy – and instead doubled down on the SNP’s fixation with breaking up the UK, while cosying up to the anti-growth Greens.
“Later this year voters will get the chance to cast their verdict on his and the SNP’s dire reign. In swathes of seats across Scotland they know that only the Scottish Conservatives can beat the SNP and get the focus back to the issues that matter to them.”
Marking the anniversary on social media platform X, Yousaf told his followers, “it remains the biggest honour of my life to lead the country and the party I love.
“Every day, my promise is to work in the interests of our country and the people I have the privilege of serving as First Minister.”
SNP Depute Leader Keith Brown also shared words of support for the First Minister.He says: “At a time when the Westminster parties have never been so out of touch with the people of Scotland, Humza Yousaf has shown himself to be the leader Scotland needs.
"It is leadership - and policy decisions - based on clear values and Humza Yousaf's leadership is in stark contrast to the Westminster parties and their Scottish branch offices.
"Where we see other party leaders are abandoning their principles, Humza's values are in tune with people in Scotland.”
Britain could still be months away from a General Election being called, but with key players already drawing lines on the Scottish battleground, there’s little doubt the war of the words is already underway.