The former first minister turned backbench SNP MSP continued to agree to interviews with media organisations both home and abroad, notably decrying Israel’s brutal war on Gaza and the plight of Palestinians — in an almost ambassadorial role.
He’s even engaged in a very public spat with the world’s richest man, Elon Musk.
So, when Yousaf announced last month he will also be stepping down as an MSP after the 2026 Holyrood elections, I wasn’t at all convinced it meant a full retreat from the limelight — particularly when it comes to the issues he evidently cares about.
READ MORE: ‘Name the day, name the hour’: Humza Yousaf challenges Elon Musk to a debate
The ex-SNP leader still remained a little tight-lipped about his next move when I met with him yesterday for an exclusive interview with The National.
Speaking from his office in Holyrood, Yousaf stressed that he — of course — still has over a year to serve as MSP for Glasgow Pollock with all the corresponding responsibilities. And that any future decision will be made alongside his wife and SNP councillor Nadia El-Nakla, with his young family in mind.
But one thing was made clear — a future career in international affairs could beckon.
“I’ve got a real interest in international affairs, particularly around the conflict resolution space,” Yousaf told me, adding that he could “envisage” working for an international organisation.
He refused to be drawn on whether that meant the United Nations, however.
Humza Yousaf in his office in Holyrood (Image: Gordon Terris) “I would like to see where I can bring my unique set of skills,” Yousaf said.
“I’m having lots of conversations, opening lots of doors, not closing anything off. And we’ll just end up seeing where it takes us.”
“I was a government minister for 12 odd years, various different roles. Obviously, having the top job for a period as well, and a unique experience in being the first Muslim leader of a Western democratic nation.”
He added: “So, how can I use that experience to help all over the world?”
Yousaf mentioned Syria as an example, who recently forcibly removed longstanding president Bashar al-Assad from office.
“Syria has a really important future ahead of it. It is very much at a new dawn,” he explained.
“The statements coming from the current leader, Ahmed al Sharaa, are positive – he’s saying the right things. Talking about inclusivity, talking about respecting rights, talking about being a positive regional partner — having friends, not enemies.”
Yousaf added: “That rebuilding effort of Syria’s infrastructure, governance and institutions obviously has to be led by the people of Syria.
“But others who have experience of governance, can we play a role in helping, assisting and supporting?”
If the rest of our interview is any indication, Yousaf isn’t intending to stop commenting on Scottish affairs either – independence included.
Yousaf, for example, rejected a recent claims from Nicola Sturgeon that independence is “off the radar now”.
The MSP slapped down the remarks made by his predecessor, echoing the comments of First Minister John Swinney: “Independence is never off the radar.”
Yousaf said: “Because everything we do is effectively linked to independence. When we are, for example, presenting the Scottish Budget — as Shona Robison has done. Seeking to restore some universal payments to pensioners, helping to mitigate the impacts of the two-child cap – that is, of course, an argument for independence.
“If this is what we can do with the limited powers of devolution, imagine what we can do with the full powers of independence?”
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He also took aim at the UK Government — notably Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who undertook an undisclosed visit to Israel on Sunday and into Monday, with his trip only being revealed when Israeli government officials posted on social media.
“If you are ashamed of a meeting that’s taking place and are doing your best to try to hide it and cover it up, then you should really think about why you’re doing that,” Yousaf said.
“What I would say to David Lammy and the UK Government is that we have now, according to a report by The Lancet, an estimation that there may have been closer to just over 75,000 killed in Gaza.
“We know from a UN-verified study that almost 70% are women and children. We know from, again verified reports from the UN, that hospitals, schools, and refugee camps have been bombed.”
He added: “To then meet with the [Israeli] government. To pose for photographs with the government whose head is wanted by the International Criminal Court, is shameful. And there is no justification.
“I wouldn’t expect David Lammy to be posing, smiling with photographs with Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister. I wouldn’t expect Keir Starmer to be shaking hands and hugging Vladimir Putin.
“We wouldn’t expect any engagement at that senior level.”
Yousaf went on: “The only conclusion one can draw with why the Israeli government and the people of Gaza are treated differently is that it has to be rooted in racism.
“Arab lives simply do not matter to the same extent as European lives, and that to me an indictment of the sad state of humanity that we currently live in.”
(Image: Gordon Terris)
The former first minister also suggested that the Scottish Government should be careful too and hold itself to the same standards by scrapping Scottish Enterprise grants to arms firms linked to Israel.
The grants — which have totalled around £3 million since 2023 — have been given to arms firms including BAE Systems, Raytheon Systems, and Leonardo which manufactures parts for the F-35 fighter jets Israel uses in Gaza.
Scottish ministers, including Angus Robertson, have defended them, saying that the grants are not “direct funding for the manufacture of weapons”.
But Yousaf said no public money should be going to arms firms still selling arms to Israel.
“I would be saying to the UK Government that it would be unacceptable to spend a single penny of public money on arms companies that are sending arms and components to Israel,” he said.
“Well, the same thing would apply to the Scottish Government.”
We then segue to US president-elect Donald Trump, who Swinney said he would meet if he visited Scotland and appeal to his love of Scotland if it means it will protect the country from damaging tariffs on exports to the United States.
“If I was first minister, I would meet with Donald Trump,” Yousaf said.
“I say that as a Muslim, with some of what Donald Trump did in his first term (as president).”
In 2017, then president Trump signed an executive order banning people from six Muslim-majority countries from entering the USA.
“I would meet with Donald Trump for a number of reasons,” Yousaf said.
“First of all, you’re either a democrat or you’re not — and I mean that with a small ‘d’. You either believe in democracy or you don’t just believe in democracy when it’s your person that you align with, in terms of values, wins.
“He is the democratically elected president of the United States. He’s got a mandate. There’s no quibbling or quarrelling about the fact that it was a free or fair election.
“And therefore, not meeting the president of the United States because you disagree with his position would seem petulant.”
Yousaf added, however, that you should of course still “raise issues of concern”.
READ MORE: Legal experts pan Labour’s High Court defence of Israeli arms exports
On the issue of Gaza, the SNP MSP said that Joe Biden and his administration have been “complete and utter failures”.
He added: “The fact that we are now potentially close to ceasefire, and that is allegedly, according to the reporting, because of president-elect Donald Trump’s efforts goes to show just how weak the Biden administration has been on this issue.
“And therefore, I think – and again this may sound unusual coming from me – Donald Trump has to be given a chance and has to just be allowed to get on with it.”
The President-elect has recently refused to rule out military action or economic coercion to seize control of Greenland, which is administered by Nato-ally Denmark, or the crucial Panama Canal trade route.
READ MORE: Will Greenland become independent and why does it matter to Trump?
This led National contributor Richard Murphy to suggest Scotland could be next.
Asked what he thought of the prospect of Trump expressing a desire to buy Scotland somehow, Yousaf said: “I suppose we should always be careful because we do have oil and gas, so always quite susceptible, perhaps, to being bought by others.”
He added: “[But] having lived through Trump’s first four years, I think we probably treat with a degree of scepticism what he says and then what his actions are.
Yousaf went on: “One thing I can tell you, which is true about the SNP and the Scottish Government, is that we’ll never allow Scotland to be bought and sold by anybody.”