HE’S the motorbike-riding, kilt-wearing Nationalist — who also cooks a mean
curry.
And the modern face of Scottish politics, Humza Yousaf, invited The Scottish
Sun into his ‘United Colours of Benetton’ family home.
It doesn’t get much more multi-cultural than this…
The Nat MSP was raised by his Pakistani dad Mustafa and his Keyna-born mum
Shaaistar along with wee sis Safa, 23, and big sister Faiza, 29, who’s
joined when we meet by her hubby Hassan, 31.
He ended up marrying Essex girl Gail Lythgoe. And while his father-in-law Andy
is a Scunthorpe-born convenor of the SNP’s Eastwood branch — even though he
has a strong North-East English accent — his mother-in-law Joyce is a Scot.
So with this background, how did a young Muslim boy from Glasgow’s plush
Newton Mearns end up as the youngest ever SNP MSP when he was elected 11
months ago?
He says: “My dad became a Scottish Nationalist listening to a teacher at
school.
“I was obviously heavily influenced by my dad and our family friend Bashir
Ahmad, who was elected an MSP for the Scottish Nationalists in 2007.
“But for me, the deciding factor to get involved in politics was the Iraq war
— pure and simple.”
Humza is a dab hand in the kitchen, rustling up a daal lentil curry, chicken
mince kebabs and lamb curry for his family.
He says: “I had to do my fair share of cooking growing up. My mum is a staunch
feminist and she made sure I had to do the same chores as my sisters.
“Even after I was elected, Mum still makes sure I do the dishes afterwards.”
In his spare time he also drives a Yamaha Fazer 600 motorbike — often
wearing his Heritage tartan kilt.
Humza reveals: “I only do that going to functions in the summer. It’s far too
cold at this time of year.
“I guess I bought the bike as my quarter-life crisis. I’ve had a couple of
spills off it, but nothing too serious. There is no greater stress reliever
than getting on your bike, although my mum and wife hate it.”
While studying politics at Glasgow Uni, he worked in several call centres to
help make ends meet.
Humza — who turns 27 today — says: “I’ve always worked. My first job was in a
cash and carry over the summer holidays from when I was 13. I got paid £2.05
an hour and did a 45-hour week.
“But at uni I worked in call centres including O2 and Sky. They’re hard
shifts. I know people might say I’m too young to be in politics. A
parliament full of 27-year-olds would be a problem. But there’s a good mix.
“The most important thing you need to do is simply to listen to people.”
Humza married SNP activist Gail, 23, in 2010 — three years after they met at a
party conference.
He jokes: “If Alex Salmond was to write a Mills & Boon it would
probably be two activists meeting at a conference.
“I had been an intern for the First Minister when I turned up in Perth. I
didn’t know anyone and I think Gail took pity on me.”
Humza was elected a Glasgow List MSP last year during the SNP’s landslide
victory.
He took the oath speaking Urdu, and wearing a traditional Muslim sherwani —
with a Partick Thistle tartan plaid.
Humza says: “I feel I’m a Scottish Pakistani. I’m just as comfortable with
a chapati in my hand as a bag of chips.
“At home with my mum and dad I speak Punjabi — which is like a Weegie version
of Urdu.
“But in the last 11 months I feel like I’ve aged 11 years — I’ve got white
hairs now to prove it.
“Yes, there’s a lot of pressure from expectation. That comes from your family,
your party, and the people who elect you.
“I’ve also needed to develop a thick skin. That’s because you will be attacked
on Twitter for anything you say. It’s not easy to take.”
Humza is definitely one of the Nats’ rising stars. His reputation was enhanced
last month when he made a successful debut on the BBC’s Question Time.
But he has an embarrassing revelation: “I have a terrible stomach — I’ve had
irritable bowel syndrome since I was a wee baby.
“I used to take tablets, but you really can’t do much for IBS.
“I was so nervous before Question Time I was constantly in and out the
bathroom for three days. I must have lost a stone.
“Then Alex Salmond took me aside and gave me a pep talk, saying I had to
remember no one really knew who I was. So I had nothing to lose.
“I thought it went fairly well. A few days later someone came up to me on the
train and said, ‘You’re that guy who was on the telly?’ I was well chuffed
until he added, ‘You did a great job defending Tommy Sheridan’.
“I didn’t have the heart to tell him I wasn’t the lawyer Aamer Anwar.”
But does Humza pass the pasty test — which was miserably failed by Prime
Minister David Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne?
He says: “Well I have to eat halal meat, so can’t eat a sausage roll — but I
do love a cheese and onion pasty.
“It’s annoying at Scotland games though, because while everyone can have a pie
I’ve got to have a macaroni pie, which aren’t great.”
His boss Alex Salmond is clearly no stranger to a pie or pasty.
Humza laughs: “I don’t think that’s any great secret — he has been pictured
with a pie before.
“He also absolutely loves his curries too. I reckon THEY are his
favourite dish.”
The MSP has recently returned from a visit to Tunisia with a British
delegation, a year after revolution swept through the African state.
He says: “There were a lot of lessons for older democracies like us. No one
was trying to point-score about who tweeted what, like they do here.
“There are too many playground antics going on at times. Many of our
politicians need to grow up.
“This is an historic time for the country, regardless of your views on
independence.
“People want the facts, not the scare stories.”
Away from the cut and thrust of the Scottish Parliament, Humza unwinds by
playing five-a-sides.
He says: “I get abuse for my pals for not seeing them enough. The only time I
catch up is when we play five-a-side football every Friday night at 10pm.
I’ve been doing that with the same bunch for the last 12 years.
“But I don’t complain about not having a lot of spare time. It’s part of my
duty … and I’m well paid for it.
“I’m also proud to be a Scottish Pakistani during one of the most exciting
times ever in British politics.”