Humza Yousaf talks post-Holyrood plans

At an event hosted in the Glasgow University Union yesterday, the former First Minister discussed his future plans, after he announced he will be stepping down as an MSP next year.

Former First Minister Humza Yousaf discussed his plans for retirement from front-line politics at a University of Glasgow event yesterday, saying his priorities will be in “taking on the far-right”. 

The event, organised by Glasgow University Scottish Nationalist Association, saw Yousaf discuss a range of issues including his time as First Minister and the current position of the SNP going into the next Holyrood election. 

It was announced in December of last year that Humza Yousaf would not contest his Glasgow Pollok constituency in the 2026 Holyrood elections, saying that it was the “right time” for him to stand down from the Scottish Parliament.

In response to a question from the audience about his plans post-Holyrood, Yousaf said: “What will I do next? I don’t really know, is the honest answer.

“I am interested in potentially exploring the issue of the rise of the far right across Europe and the western world and how we counter it which is a big problem going forward. I might pen some thoughts on that.

“What else will I do? I can’t tell you exactly because there’s lots of conversations I’m having, lots of doors I’m opening - I’m not closing any doors. But I think that the areas where I see myself trying to make a contribution is in the conflict resolution space because I think there is far too much conflict in the world, and it’s getting worse, especially with the inhumanity of it all very much being live streamed on our phones and our televisions.

“I’d love to play a role in that humanitarian realm or conflict resolution space, and the two are intertwined in my opinion”

Yousaf also took aim at politics across the pond, discussing the current United States administration, saying: “And then, I have a passion for taking on the far-right, and the fact that we have the world’s wealthiest man backing far-right movements across the world with his unlimited resources - he [Elon Musk] is projected to be the world’s first ever trillionaire. 

"So he’s going to have this huge amount of wealth, an unlimited war chest, and he’s supporting all the wrong people.

"Therefore, the question is: what do people who are trying to bring communities together, that are open-hearted people - who’s supporting them? And I’m having some thoughts about how we support them with their digital content or amplifying their message.”

Yousaf ended the discussion by joking: “Maybe, you know, if Celtic want a new chairman at some point I would happily step up for the country.”

Published 14 March 2025