Humza Yousaf: My family ease stress of being First Minister

Humza Yousaf has told how his wife and children are his main source of support when coping with the pressure of being First Minister.

Almost one year into the job, succeeding Nicola Sturgeon last March, the First Minister said while it is an honour and privilege it can be “brutal and toxic” and impossible to switch off from.

Heading towards a General Election this year after a dramatic introduction to the role, the Glasgow Times asked Humza Yousaf about running a Government, the impact of the police investigation into the party finances and the effect on his young family of being First Minister.

Yousaf said: “It's not without its challenges but it's genuinely the biggest honour of my professional life.

“Being in politics can be quite difficult. It can be quite toxic. It can be brutal at times.”

He has spoken openly recently about the mental health challenges he has faced and he is aware of the need to try to protect his family from the ugly side of politics.

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At the same time, that is where he seeks sanctuary to help him cope with the pressure.

Yousaf said: “It can be hard. There are times that I go home and I probably rant to the wife and she listens quite patiently as she tends to do.

“It can be really difficult and quite stressful, but you know, being the first minister of the country, probably every day will have its stresses.”

He said it is “impossible” to completely switch off from the role.

Yousaf said: “I genuinely find it impossible to take the First Minister hat off. Regardless of what I'm doing, I always feel the responsibility. You're always very acutely aware that you’re First Minister.”

He said: “Anywhere I go, if it's a meal with my wife or if I take my kid to soft play or with my teenager going for a bike ride, folk will always know who you are, so you can never not be First Minister.”

He accepts that, adding: “And that's fine because I find it a great privilege and a great honour.

“In terms of switching off, genuinely, and I know it sounds a bit cliché, the more I'm doing with my family, the better.”

He mentions an activity many parents will relate to.

The 38 year-old, dad said: “If you're at a soft play with a four year-old, you've not got much time to think about anything else other than trying to keep an eye on them and they’re telling you to go this way and that way on the inflatables.

“So actually, being with your kids is a great distraction.”

Long-standing friends also provide an escape, one of the few relationships where he is not primarily First Minister.

Yousaf said: “I've got a really close group of friends, six friends who I've known, some of them, for over 30 years and to them I'm not the First Minister, I'm just Humza and they'll take the mick, they'll have good banter with me.

“Now, I don't get to see them as often but when I get the chance to, it really helps me unwind.”

It is Nadia, his wife of five years, that he relies on most for support.

He said: “I probably lean on her, I think, a bit too much if I’m honest.

“She won't say that, but I think you know, being the spouse or partner of a politician, particularly in a leadership role, can be tough.

“But having that to me is, I can tell you, completely invaluable. More than worth its weight in gold, and to me, that's the most important.”

He said while there are people to “lean on for political experience” it is when he is not in that he finds is most valuable for his mental health.

Yousaf said: “It's actually when you're back home and you don't want to get too much in your own head that you got somebody to speak to, I think is the most important.”

When he was elected SNP leader and then First Minister, he led a government that did not have the experience of Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney for the first time since 2007.

He said: “They're still around.  I had a very brief conversation with Nicola last week and John the week before.

“In fairness to Nicola and John, they're also wanting us to furrow our own path and although I will speak to them, now and again, I've got to make sure I'm creating my own path forward in terms of what I want to do as First Minister and what my vision is.”

Within weeks of being elected he had the SNP’s biggest crisis to contend with as the country was shocked by the arrests of Peter Murrell, then later Nicola Sturgeon, and a police tent was erected outside their home. Both were released without charge.

Yousaf said: “The first few months were really tough.

“I was elected as First Minister at the end of March and then days into the Easter recess, Peter Murrell gets arrested and all the visuals that came with that.

“I can't lie to you. That was tough for the individuals involved, tough for the party. It was hard for me to communicate my message at that point because all I was doing was fielding questions, and understandably so, about the police investigation.”

He said it is not a distraction now “because I’ve nothing to do with the investigation”.

Approaching a year since the first arrest he said: “Obviously the police should take as much time as they need”.

Asked how long is too long before it should be concluded one way or another he will not be drawn.

The First Minister states: “I think it's a really fair question for you to ask, but the reason why I'm not going to delve into it is because as First Minister I’ve got a real responsibility not to be seen in any way shape or form to prejudice and inquiry.

“I was justice secretary at one point. I know that the police will do the job that is necessary. But I'm not going to comment on the timescale because I just think I don't want to give any impression of unjustly interfering with a police investigation.”

As a Scot, with a Pakistani family history Humza Yousaf, like Anas Sarwar, Scottish Labour leader, has been the target of abuse.

Since becoming first minister he said there is “no doubt, it has increased”.

Yousaf thinks perhaps only Nicola Sturgeon was on the end of more vitriol and venom.

He said he takes steps to protect himself like managing what social media he sees.

He added, however: “But I'm afraid it's not just on social media, you'll see it. When I first came into the role two people were charged for verbal abuse.”

Being a father of two he said that is his concern.

He said: “Thankfully, violent threats are rare. But if you get one, it's pretty frightening. And when they begin to talk about your kids. Then it gets really worrying and frightening as well.

“I'll do everything I can to try to protect my kids where I can, but it's the biggest worry that I've got when it comes to my family.”

He was elected as SNP leader and tasked with delivering what both Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon could not.

The long-term goal is independence and the first hurdle on the horizon is the UK General Election with Labour riding high in the polls.

He is aware of the job ahead.

Yousaf said: “It’s going to be a tough General Election. I’m not going to treat your readers with disdain and certainly not insult their intelligence. It's going to be a hard election.

“But I'm confident that we'll win the election. That's my aim, to make sure we’re the biggest party in Scotland, I think we can do it because our values are very closely aligned with the values of the people of Scotland.

I don't think people who are thinking about voting Labour are doing it with any enthusiasm.

“I think they're doing it just because they're not the Conservatives.”

He feels Kier Starmer’s stance on Israel and Gaza is causing anger among communities in Scotland, and not just Muslims.

Yousaf added: “His inability, unwillingness to call for ceasefire has clearly angered a lot of people.”

Asked if he can achieve what Salmond and Sturgeon couldn’t, he said: “Yes, that's certainly the aim. That's the ambition. I wouldn't be doing it otherwise.”

Despite the police investigation, and all the other challenges he said independence support is strong.

Yousaf said: “An Ipsos Mori poll put it at 53% to 47% against. So support for independence is solid.

“Of course poll after poll will fluctuate, sometimes below 50%, sometimes above 50%.

“I've got to make sure it's absolutely solidly above 50% in order to achieve independence.”