Has Humza the chutzpah to save his scandal-prone government?

Yousaf will have to show he is his own man and not a captive of the Scottish Green Party

One side effect of the SNP turning into an episode of True Crime is that it has diverted public attention, for a time, from the state of the nation. It is not in a good place. Nicola Sturgeon’s shock departure two months ago revealed that the SNP has been living a lie for years but it is clear that Scotland itself has been ruled by delusion. Long standing issues like the state of the National Health Service, the decline in educational standards, the absence of economic growth have been concealed by a kind of governmental sleight of hand.

Focussing the national debate around cultural issues like transgenderism, nationalism and the character of Tory politicians allowed Nicola Sturgeon to get away with running Scotland with stunning mediocrity. But the recent crisis of credibility has ended all that. Scottish voters are fed up with greenwash and social justice soft soap . Step up Humza Yousaf, the new First Minister of Scotland. As Holyrood returns, he will deliver his first state of the nation and outline his own personal “programme for government”. What might it contain?