The new leader of the social democratic, separatist Scottish National Party (SNP) Hamza Yousaf was officially elected First Minister of the Scottish Autonomous Government today by the Scottish Parliament meeting in Edinburgh.

Yousaf, 37, who was elected to the leadership of the SNP in an internal party vote on Monday, is due to take up his duties on Wednesday. He is the first Muslim to take the leadership of a major UK political party.

He succeeds her Nicola Sturgeonwho announced her surprise resignation last month after eight years in the position.

“It’s a proud day for me and my family and I hope it’s also a proud day for Scotland because it says a lot about our values,” Yousaf said shortly after the vote.

He praised the actions of Sturgeon, who formally sent her letter of resignation to King Charles this morning.

Youssef takes over the party with his primary aim of ending the union with England and in his first remarks he said Scotland needed independence now more than ever, while also promising to try to get on his side those who disagree with leaving the United Kingdom. “The people of Scotland need independence now, more than ever and we will be the generation to deliver Scottish independence”he said in his speech yesterday.

About four in 10 Scots back the call for independence, according to a poll released this month. But the resignation of the charismatic Nicola Sturgeon could slow the party’s momentum and delay the push for independence. There is no agreed strategy for how the party will push for London a new referendum and this was one of the reasons for Sturgeon’s departure.

Yousaf’s victory in the internal party process marks the continuation of Sturgeon’s policies and is an indication that the party will not abandon its progressive policies. He has said that his faith is “not the basis on which he will legislate” and that he is in favor of same-sex marriage, unlike his main rival for office, Kate Forbes, who is close to the Liberal Party. Church of Scotland and for religious reasons disagrees on this issue. Yousaf has also said he plans to sue the UK government for blocking a law passed by the Scottish Parliament that makes the gender reassignment process easier.

His progressive social views are believed to help continue the SNP’s partnership with the Green Party.

Yousaf was born in Glasgow and studied political science at the local university. After graduation he worked as an assistant to a Member of Parliament and in 2011 he was elected Member of Parliament himself. His father is of Pakistani origin and settled in Scotland in the 1960s while his mother was born in Kenya to parents of South Asian descent. He has a child with his second wife and also has an ancestor.

He first became deputy minister in local government in 2012 – the youngest ever and the first from an ethnic minority. In 2018 he was appointed Minister of Justice and in May 2021 he took over as Minister of Health.

In 2016 Yousaf was sworn in as a member of the Scottish Parliament in the Urdu language while wearing a kilt. He opposes the monarchy and has said an independent Scotland should consider abolishing it.