Humza Yousaf is the Member of the Scottish Parliament for Glasgow Pollok.
Born and raised by Pakistani immigrants in Glasgow, he studied politics at the University of Glasgow, before working as a parliamentary assistant for Bashir Ahmad, the first Muslim elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2007.
He was first elected as an MSP for the Glasgow region in May 2011, aged only 26, and became the youngest Minister ever appointed to the Scottish Government.
He was also the first Minister from an ethnic minority background, when he was appointed as Minister for External Affairs and International Development in 2012.
Since then, he has also served as a minister for Europe, transport, as well as Cabinet Secretary for both the Justice and Health portfolios.
Most recently, Humza served as SNP Leader and First Minister until 2024.
In 2016, he was elected to serve Glasgow Pollok – becoming the first ethnic minority Member of the Scottish Parliament to be directly elected to a constituency.
Outside of politics, Humza has been involved in community work, from youth organisations to charity fundraising for most of his life, including being media spokesperson for the international non-governmental organisation Islamic Relief.
He also volunteered for community radio for 12 years and on a charitable project providing food packages to homeless people and asylum seekers in Glasgow.
Humza’s political interests include external affairs and international development, tackling mental health and justice issues. On a personal note, Humza is a Celtic FC fan who enjoys watching and playing football as well as spending time with his family, travelling and is a keen motorcyclist.