If Humza Yousaf is the answer what is the question?
The “continuity” candidate has more baggage than Heathrow
If Humza Yousaf is the answer, you have to ask: what was the question? No wonder prominent nationalist commentators are “weeping” at the state of the SNP leadership race after a week of bitter factionalism and bigotry.
And hypocrisy - now that Humza Yousaf has effectively been accused of lying about why he failed to vote for gay marriage in 2014. The former SNP health secretary, Alex Neil, who was in charge of the equal marriage bill in 2014 says it is “not true” that Yousaf had no choice but to miss the crucial vote. Mr Neil told The Herald it was a “cop out”.
No wonder Nicola Sturgeon wanted out of this nest of vipers. Mind you the former First Minister wasted no time in reneging on her promise to stay out of the race to succeed her. She shafted Kate Forbes by joining in the witch hunt over her “values”. Apparently the First Minister didn’t know that Forbes was an evangelical Christian when she installed her as finance secretary, the second top job in the Scottish government. Well, well.
But Ms Sturgeon doesn’t seem all that enamoured either of the “continuity” candidate, Humza Yousaf. She rather obviously brushed him aside at First Minister’s Questions when the health secretary offered her his sage advice. I think she’s had enough of that.
She doggedly defended his record against the withering verdict of the Audit Commission. It reported that just about everything that could go wrong in the NHS since Yousaf took over has gone wrong. Labour’s Anas Sarwar saw an open goal and managed not to miss.
Nicola Sturgeon insisted that nurses and doctors were much better paid in Scotland than England and that spending on the NHS here has doubled - which rather begs the question of why it is in such a parlous state.
Since Yousaf took charge of health at the tail end of the pandemic in 2021, the NHS has ceased functioning in large parts of Scotland according to Dr Iain Kennedy, chair of the BMA. Waiting times are at historic levels, dentistry is being effectively privatised and only the most dedicated can secure a GP appointment. Mr Yousaf’s handling of the £1bn Social Care Service has led to a revolt by unions and local authorities
Labour are gagging for Yousaf to take over in Bute House because they regard him as a three time ministerial loser. His handling of ferry contracts, when he was transport minister; hate crime legislation when Yousaf was justice secretary; and now the implosion the NHS under his watch. He’s got more baggage than Heathrow.
But in truth the SNP is becoming its own electoral liability. As I suggested earlier this week, the leadership race has turned into the mother of all culture wars. Who would have thought that the party of independence would start tearing itself apart over a law on same sex marriage that was passed nearly a decade ago? Kate Forbes campaign has been trashed by enemies in the party, even though she remains the front runner. What a stramash.
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