Muslim politician, Humza Yousaf, elected as new Scottish PM

The 37-year-old Humza Yousaf on Monday won the race to become Scotland’s new leader, its youngest and first Muslim, charged with reviving a faltering independence movement after Nicola Sturgeon’s long tenure.

Yousaf emerged victorious with 52 percent of Scottish National Party (SNP) members’ preferentially ranked votes, following a divisive three-way leadership battle triggered by Sturgeon’s surprise resignation announcement last month.

He is set to be sworn in as first minister on Wednesday, becoming the first ethnic minority leader of a devolved government and the first Muslim to lead a major UK party.

The Muslim Council of Britain called his election “momentous”.