The SNP leadership contest is well underway, with Humza Yousaf, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan criss-crossing Scotland to meet with members and attend hustings.
Thus far, these have been thoughtful and positive events, with candidates setting out their visions for both the Scottish Government and the SNP.
This leadership election within the SNP marks an unexpected end of an era, the passing of the torch from the giants of our movement in Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney to the next generation.
They leave the SNP in a place they couldn’t have envisaged when they first joined the party.
I have been impressed with the passion Humza has brought and am backing him for leader. I’ve known him since our time in Young Scots for Independence and have seen him work hard and develop through the tough roles he has had in the Scottish Government.
Humza has faced challenges head on and, as an ethnic and religious minority, has always known the importance of standing up for the rights of marginalised groups.
During his first Government role, as Minister for Europe and International Development, I heard UK Government ministers credit the compassionate approach he took to welcoming refugees to Scotland.
It couldn’t be a more stark contrast to the narrative we see from the current UK Tory Government.
Humza Yousaf was Transport Minister through the “beast from the East”, the Justice Secretary who brought in the Scottish Government’s hate crime legislation, and took on the role of Health Secretary as our NHS recovers from the covid pandemic; these have not been easy shifts.
Most recently, as health workers in other parts of the UK have gone out on strike, Humza’s negotiation skills have come to the fore, building up relationships to avoid strike action and achieve a deal on pay, which means NHS staff in Scotland are still the best paid on these islands.
Humza’s work over the past decade in these different areas of Government gives him valuable experience and insight into the issues facing people across Scotland. He has built a strong team around him to enhance that insight.
I’ve always found Humza to be a good listener, the most important quality I find in a leader, and that matters a lot when it comes to the issue of independence. We must listen, as well as convince.
There are a range of views on how best to take Scotland forward in the face of intransigence from the UK Government.
At the same time, devolution is under threat from persistent action from Westminster; through legislation like the UK Single Market Act which allows UK Ministers to intervene in devolved areas, the Retained EU Law Bill, which will scrap vital health, environmental and rights protections, and the grotesque over-ruling of the cross-party backed Gender Recognition Reform Bill.
Scotland needs a leader, a First Minister, who will not shirk from the tough decisions. There are no easy battles, but given his wealth of experience, I know Humza Yousaf will stand up to the UK Government, govern inclusively, and work to chart Scotland’s path out of this Westminster morass.
GENDER PAY GAP
International Women’s Day on the 8th of March gives a reminder each year of the challenges women face, both at home and around the world. Whether it’s women and girls in Afghanistan denied their rights to education, women facing discrimination in the workplace, or the pervasive threats of violence and misogyny, there is much still to be done to dismantle the patriarchal systems which hold women back.
Unfortunately, recent years have seen brands seeking to appropriate International Women’s Day as just another marketing opportunity rather than a day of protest and solidarity.
It’s always worth watching the Gender Pay Gap Bot account on twitter to see just how far the organisations tweeting about International Women’s Day are from taking meaningful action on pay disparities.
I was astonished that the Women’s Prize for Fiction, of all organisations who should know better, declaring that they were turning their logo “dazzlingly pink” because “pink isn’t just a colour, it’s an attitude”.
It’s hard to know where to start with this.
The gender pay gap in the media and creative sectors, and specifically in writing and publishing, still persists. Tackling that would surely be a better use of resource rather than pinkwashing for International Women’s Day.
WORLD BOOK DAY
I love celebrating World Book Day and would encourage all parents and carers to rummage through schoolbags for their £1 voucher, which can be exchanged for one of this year’s fantastic books. These are also available as braille and audio books so everyone is included. www.worldbookday.com
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