10 key moments from Humza Yousaf's first 100 days as First Minister

Dealing with a number of high-profile arrests, where those involved were released without charge, the FM has had a slew of crises to deal with whilst trying to set out his policy programme.

To mark 100 days in office for Yousaf on Friday 7 July, The National have pulled together a list of some of the most memorable moments of his tenure so far.

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March 27 - Yousaf wins the SNP leadership contest

Yousaf was named as the new SNP leader at a press conference in Murrayfield, Edinburgh, after beating rivals Kate Forbes and Ash Regan. Regan was eliminated after the first round of vote counting, with Yousaf winning with 52% of second preference votes, to Forbes’s 48%.

“The people of Scotland need independence now more than ever before, and we will be the generation that delivers independence for Scotland," Yousaf said at the press conference.

March 29 - Sworn in as FM and appointing a new Cabinet

Yousaf was sworn in at the Court of Session as First Minister, becoming the first Scottish Asian, the first Muslim, and the youngest person to take on the top job in the Scottish Government. He was also given the title of Keeper of the Scottish Seal, was the sixth person appointed Scottish FM and pledged allegiance to the King during the short ceremony.

Later, Yousaf would appoint a new ministerial team, appointing Shona Robison as Deputy First Minister and Finance Secretary. Rival Forbes and her supporter Ivan McKee both left government, as well as MSPs Clare Haughey and Ben Macpherson.

Yousaf’s Cabinet was the first to have a majority of women appointed and saw a Minister for Independence included in the top team for the first time, a move that enraged Scottish Secretary Alister Jack. 

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April 5 - Peter Murrell arrest

Just one week after being sworn in as FM, former SNP chief executive Murrell was arrested as part of Police Scotland’s probe into the party’s finances. The 58-year-old was later released without charge, but images of a forensic tent outside of Murrell and former first minister Sturgeon’s home dominated the news cycle.

The SNP’s headquarters in Edinburgh were also searched as part of Operation Branchform, the investigation relating to £600,000 earmarked for independence campaigning.

April 18 - Beattie arrest and Yousaf unveils policy programme

On the day that Yousaf was due to set out his stall in the Holyrood chamber for the direction of travel of his Government, SNP MSP and then-party treasurer Colin Beattie was arrested in the morning.

The MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh was later released without charge as part of the finance probe and resigned from his role as SNP treasurer the next day.

Later, Yousaf would put forward his agenda to MSPs and make a number of changes to Scottish Government policy.

This included another delay on the introduction of the deposit return scheme, later held back until at least October 2025 after a UK Government intervention, paused plans for a National Care Service after concerns were raised by stakeholders and politicians, scrapped a planned ban on alcohol advertising and sought to reset the relationship with businesses.

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June 11 - Nicola Sturgeon arrest and calls for her suspension

The former first minister was questioned for seven hours as part of Operation Branchform before also being released without charge. Sturgeon released a statement following her release where she insisted she had done nothing wrong.

“To find myself in the situation I did today when I am certain I have committed no offence is both a shock and deeply distressing,” she wrote.

In the days that followed, opposition politicians would demand that Yousaf suspend Sturgeon from the party, while critics within the SNP suggested she should voluntarily give up her membership.

The FM refused to suspend his successor despite growing pressure, with MSPs rallying around to send Sturgeon flowers following the incident.

June 19 - Fourth independence whitepaper published

Alongside DFM Robison and Minister for Independence Jamie Hepburn, Yousaf launched the fourth whitepaper in the Building a New Scotland series, this time focusing on a written constitution.

It detailed certain human rights that could be codified into law for Scottish citizens following independence, as well as key policies such as a ban on nuclear weapons in Scotland, protecting the right to strike and the NHS, as well as setting out how Scotland could remove King Charles and move towards an elected head of state within three to five years of independence.

June 20 - Recall petition Rutherglen and Hamilton West opens

After former SNP politician Margaret Ferrier was suspended from the House of Commons for 30 days by MPs on June 6, the recall petition to allow voters in Rutherglen and Hamilton West to remove her and trigger a by-election opened on June 20. If 10% of the electorate decide to sign the petition to remove Ferrier, then a by-election will be called and likely take place at some point in the autumn.

The by-election will be a key electoral test for Yousaf, who has been seen out on the doors in the area on a number of occasions, as well as Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.

June 21 - Fergus Ewing set to lose party whip

After voting with Tory, Labour and LibDem MSPs during a vote of no confidence against Scottish Greens minister Lorna Slater, reports emerged that SNP backbencher Fergus Ewing could face losing the party whip.

Ewing has become an outspoken critic of the Greens in government, dubbing them “wine bar revolutionaries” and railing against many of the Bute House agreement policies, such as ripping up the HPMA consultation document in the Holyrood chamber (pictured above).

Ewing is one of a number of SNP rebels who have emerged following the vote on Scotland’s gender reforms, with Yousaf expected to try to stamp out dissent by removing the whip from Ewing.

However, news which emerged the next day has likely paused this for some time.

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June 22 - Death of Winnie Ewing

The Scottish Parliament lowered its flags to half mast as the news that legendary independence campaigner, and former MP, MEP and MSP Winnie Ewing had sadly died aged 93.

Tributes were paid in the chamber and across the political spectrum to Ewing, mum to serving MSPs Fergus and Annabell, with the FM describing her as a “pioneer and patriot”.

June 24 - SNP Independence Convention

The party faithful descended on Caird Hall, Dundee, for the first in-person meeting of members since Humza Yousaf took over as leader and FM. He set out his stall to members on the route forward to independence ahead of the General Election, stating that the first line of the party’s manifesto will read that a vote for the SNP is a “vote for Scotland to become an independent country”.

While the specifics are yet to be thrashed out through a series of regional assemblies over the summer, this week’s Sunday National asked experts to weigh in on how successful Yousaf’s strategy might be.