Ex-First Minister Humza Yousaf to step down as MSP at next election

Former First Minister Humza Yousaf is to stand down as an MSP at the 2026 Holyrood election.

The ex-SNP leader has been a backbencher since resigning as first minister in April.

In a letter to his successor, John Swinney, Yousaf said the next election would be the “right time” to move on from parliament.

He wrote: “I struggle to find the words to appropriately convey what an honour it is to sit in our nation’s parliament as the elected representative for Glasgow Pollok.

“However, come 2026, I will have served 15 years as an MSP, 12 of those years as a minister in the Scottish government.

“The next Scottish Parliament elections in 2026 will be the right time for me to move on, to provide an opportunity for the next generation of MSPs to step forward, and to explore where I can best make a contribution in the future, in helping to tackle some of the most pressing challenges our world faces.”