‘Weak’ Humza Yousaf’s first year beset by scandal, opposition say on anniversary

Humza Yousaf is a “weak leader” whose year in charge of the SNP has been marred by broken promises and scandal, it has been claimed on the first anniversary of him succeeding Nicola Sturgeon.

The Scottish Tories unveiled a “report card” on Mr Yousaf’s 12 months at the helm, highlighting more than 100 policy areas where he has “fallen short.”

They included every accident and emergency waiting time target being missed, a rise in violent and sexual offences and the publication of nine independence “propaganda” papers at a cost of more than £134,000 to the taxpayer.

Douglas Ross, the Scottish Tory leader, said Mr Yousaf had ignored Scotland’s real priorities, at the expense of their “fixation with breaking up the UK,” the SNP’s internal scandals and “cosying up to the anti--growth Greens.”

Descended into chaos

In a separate dossier on Mr Yousaf’s record, Labour said the SNP had descended into chaos over the past year amid a police investigation into its finances and highlighted his failure to sack Michael Matheson, his disgraced former health secretary.

Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, said Mr Yousaf was “a weak leader, who is out of his depth and leading a chaotic and divided government that is not delivering for Scotland.”

Their intervention marked the first anniversary, on Wednesday, of Mr Yousaf being elected SNP leader. This Friday marks a year since he was sworn in as First Minister.

He only narrowly edged out Kate Forbes in the battle to succeed Ms Sturgeon, despite enjoying the overwhelming backing of the party establishment.

During an extraordinarily bitter campaign, he portrayed himself as the Sturgeon continuity candidate, pledging to continue her “progressive” agenda.

Within weeks of his election, police conducted a two–day search of the home she shares with Peter Murrell, the SNP’s former chief executive, as part of a long–running investigation into the party’s finances.

Mr Murrell was arrested and a luxury motorhome was confiscated from outside his elderly mother’s home in Fife. Ms Sturgeon was arrested two months later, in June.

Both, she and her husband, were released without charge pending further investigation and she has vigorously denied any wrongdoing.

However, the SNP is now struggling to raise funds, with only one living person donating to the party during Mr Yousaf’s tenure as leader.

He has also endured low approval ratings in opinion polls while backing for the SNP has also declined. In his first electoral test as SNP leader, the party was routed in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by--election, with a 20.4 per cent swing to Labour.

There is mounting speculation already that the SNP could seek to oust Mr Yousaf if the general election is disastrous for the party. Stephen Flynn, the party’s highly--regarded Westminster leader, has been touted as a replacement.

Mr Ross said: “Humza 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.

“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.”

Scottish economy

The Tory dossier said Scotland’s economy shrunk by 0.2 percentage points between Mr Yousaf’s election in March and December.

Meanwhile, the latest A&E waiting times figures showed only 62.9 per cent of patients were seen within the four--hour waiting time target in the week ending Mar 17.

Alex Cole–Hamilton, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, said: “Waiting times in A&E are just as bad as they were a year ago when Humza Yousaf moved from being Health Secretary to First Minister. No progress has been made in an entire year under his leadership.”

Separate figures showed only around seven out of 10 cancer patients started their treatment within the target 62 days in the final quarter of last year – one of the lowest levels ever.

A spokesman for the First Minister said: “Opposition parties will oppose – it’s their job, and the job given to them by the electorate for the past 17 years and counting.

“The most recent polling evidence is that the SNP remains ahead of the opposition on who people trust on health, education, the economy, and cost of living.”