London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Oct 06, 2025

Humza Yousaf: Can new SNP leader represent South Asian Scots?

Humza Yousaf: Can new SNP leader represent South Asian Scots?

Humza Yousaf has made history as the first Muslim to lead a country in western Europe.

As the new leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), he's taken over from Nicola Sturgeon as the country's first minister.

It makes him the first ethnic minority leader of a devolved government and the first Muslim to lead a major UK party.

BBC Newsbeat went to one of Scotland's most diverse areas to see what people there think about the new leader.

From the halal bakery to the Asian jewellers and colourful clothes shops, the Pollokshields area of Glasgow is full of South Asian influences.

Humza says he's keen to support communities like this one, which is in his constituency and also faces problems with deprivation and poverty.

So do people living in the area think having a leader from a South Asian background will help them?

Ismail says their new leader is more relatable than Nicola Sturgeon


Ismail Ahmed, who we spoke to on Albert Drive - billed as one of the most diverse streets in Scotland - thinks so.

"As a South Asian myself I think it's a pretty good thing our community is being represented," the 20-year-old says.

"I feel like Pakistanis, or even just South Asians in general, don't really have a big representation.

"And now that the first minister, the person that's controlling the country, is a South Asian, it just shows that there'll be more representation."

Humza was widely seen as being the preferred candidate of the SNP establishment - including Nicola Sturgeon herself.

"I'm Pakistani South Asian. So I feel like he's more relatable than Nicola Sturgeon was," Ismail tells Newsbeat.

"I feel like she was doing a pretty good job. So if he's able to continue and maintain what she was doing, I think that's good enough."

Nadia hopes Humza will help to give the diverse community of Pollokshields a voice


Nadia Anwar owns a clothes shop on the street and thinks Humza being the new leader could be massive for giving the community the confidence to speak up.

"There's a lot of things that need to get done. I feel the Asian community will be more forward speaking to somebody that is of ethnic minority, because sometimes our voice doesn't really get heard," she says.

"There's some people that are from Pakistan, from India, from Bangladesh, and they don't have anybody to actually call up to and say 'look this is my problem'.

"Because he's from that same kind of cultural background I feel as though he'll be able to understand more.

"He might not necessarily be able to help them, but then it's a good way of the Asian community being involved in politics.

"Because that's another thing as well, there's not a lot of ethnic minority people within the political environment. And I feel that that will be a good thing."

Talha wants their new leader to help stamp out racism and discrimination


Humza's dad is originally from Pakistan and emigrated to Scotland with his family in the 1960s, while his mother was born into a South Asian family in Kenya.

He's often spoken of the racist abuse he has received and called the police after allegedly receiving threats at the start of the leadership contest.

Talha Moqsud, 31, hopes having a Muslim leader will help the community deal with racism and discrimination.

"I think it's very important for us as Muslims, it gives us a little bit more hope," he says.

"Just hopefully [he] could bring in more opportunities for us. And get rid of any kind of discrimination [and] racism that still kicks about."

Another person on Albert Drive was 18-year-old Zirva.

She agrees with Nadia about their new leader being able to represent their community at the top table of Scottish politics.

"It's definitely good to have representation," she says.

"Obviously in the Western world, it's hard to see somebody that looks like you and has the same kind of beliefs to make up there so it's quite good."

So now he's officially the new leader, can Humza deal with all of the issues in Scotland at the moment?

"I'll be honest with you, I don't know," Nadia says.

"I hope he does well, I'll have every faith in him but we'll see."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Three Scientists Awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine for Discovery of Immune Self-Tolerance Mechanism
OpenAI and AMD Forge Landmark AI-Chip Alliance with Equity Option
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
×