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Humza Yousaf is expected to be declared Scotland’s new first minister later today.

The 37-year-old has replaced Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader, triumphing over Kate Forbes and Ash Regan in the contest for the party’s top job.

Mr Humza is now set to face a vote at Holyrood before being formally confirmed as the country’s sixth first minister.

After winning the SNP leadership race on Monday, Mr Yousaf said if he is elected as first minister there will be “no empty promises or easy soundbites”.

He said: “I will work every minute of every day to earn and re-earn your respect and your trust. I will do that by treating you, the people of Scotland, with respect.”

How will Scotland’s new first minister be appointed?

Any MSP from any party can be nominated for the vote, which is due to take place in the afternoon.

Following brief speeches, MSPs will then vote for their preferred candidate.

Voting could take place over a number of rounds as the winning candidate must receive more votes than their rivals combined.

The new first minister is expected to be announced by the end of the day.

The presiding officer will then submit their name to the King, with the new leader of Scotland expected to be formally sworn in at the Court of Session in Edinburgh on Wednesday.

In the unlikely event of the Scottish parliament not being able to elect a leader within 28 days, an election will be held.

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Mr Yousaf’s win is a big victory for the SNP establishment

‘Bruising’ leadership contest

Mr Yousaf is the first Muslim to lead a major UK party.

Following Ms Sturgeon’s shock resignation last month, the leadership contest featured rows over religious beliefs, arguments about the recollection of past events, and widespread criticism of secrecy surrounding the vote.

The contest also led to a number of other resignations, including that of Ms Sturgeon’s husband Peter Murrell as SNP chief executive.

(left to right) Ash Regan, Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, after it was announced Humza Yousaf is the new Scottish National Party leader, and will become the next First Minister of Scotland. Picture date: Monday March 27, 2023.
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Mr Yousaf triumphed over Ash Regan and Kate Forbes in the SNP leadership race

The leadership election was decided by the single transferrable vote system with 50,490 of the SNP’s 72,169 members casting a ballot.

After Ms Regan was eliminated in the first round, Mr Yousaf defeated Ms Forbes by 52% to 48% in the second round, with the health secretary receiving 26,032 votes and the finance secretary 23,890.

Read more:
The life, political path and controversies of the new SNP leader
Five challenges Scotland’s new first minister faces
Yousaf’s leadership win is big victory for SNP establishment

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Speaking after the result was announced at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, Mr Yousaf pledged to work to unite the SNP after a “bruising” leadership contest.

He said his “immediate priority” would be dealing with the cost of living crisis, as well working to “recover and reform our NHS and other vital public services”.

He also pledged to “move quickly” on campaign pledges made to extend childcare, improve rural housing and provide greater support to small businesses.

And he stressed he was “determined” to secure independence for Scotland, saying: “The people of Scotland need independence now more than ever before, and we will be the generation that delivers independence for Scotland.”

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Second-largest population increase in England and Wales in over 75 years – mainly fuelled by migration

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Second-largest population increase in England and Wales in over 75 years - mainly fuelled by migration

The population of England and Wales has grown by more than 700,000 in the year to June 2024 – the second-largest increase in over 75 years.

The change was largely fuelled by international migration, with natural change – the difference between births and deaths – accounting for only a small proportion.

According to the Office for National Statistics, there were an estimated 61.8 million people in England and Wales in mid-2024, up from 61.1 million the year before.

It is the second-largest numerical jump since at least 1949, when comparable data began.

And it is behind only the rise of 821,210 that took place in the preceding 12 months from mid-2022 to mid-2023.

Nigel Henretty of the ONS said the population of the two countries has increased each year since mid-1982, but said the rate of population increases has been higher in recent years.

“Net international migration continues to be the main driver of this growth, continuing the long-term trend seen since the turn of the century,” he said.

Net international migration – the difference between people moving to the country and leaving – accounted for 690,147 of the estimated population increase of 706,881 people, or 98% of the total.

There were slightly more births than deaths in the most recent year, which added 29,982 to the population.

There was also a net decrease in internal migration – the number of people moving from England and Wales to elsewhere in the UK.

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‘Simmering’ division in town where hotel for asylum seekers is beacon for unrest

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'Simmering' division in town where hotel for asylum seekers is beacon for unrest

In Altrincham near Manchester, two opposing groups have gathered to throw insults at each other across the A56.

“Fascists! Racists!” shouts one lot.

On the opposing verge, they shout back: “Shame on you!”

Then both sides chant: “Whose streets? Our streets!”

Cars flash between them, some adding hoots to the noise.

It’s 5pm on Sunday and much of the nation is united watching the Lionesses in the Euro finals.

Yet here is a dual carriageway of division formed in front of what has become a beacon for unrest – a hotel housing asylum seekers.

Anti-migration protesters on opposite the hotel in Altrincham
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Anti-migration protesters opposite the hotel in Altrincham

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Counter-protesters show their support for the refugees

Sky News has been testing the mood in Altrincham since locals were first informed last November that the Cresta Court Hotel was being repurposed from accommodating short business stays and local events into lodgings for hundreds of male asylum seekers who crossed the Channel on small boats.

Over the course of eight months there have been angry town meetings, regular low-level protests and last Sunday around 80 people from each side turned up outside the hotel with banners, flags and loudspeakers.

“We stopped the Germans, why can’t we stop dinghies,” says local man Dave Haydock under a St George’s cross cap.

“We’re paying for them to be in there and there’s British people out on the streets,” added local businessman Steve, who is waving a Union Flag. “They’re not fleeing a war to come to Britain – they’re coming from France – they are coming because of all the benefits – and everyone in the UK now knows that.”

Dave Haydock speak to Sky's Jason Farrell
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Dave Haydock speak to Sky’s Jason Farrell

The demonstrators on either side of the A56
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The demonstrators on either side of the A56

Cost, benefits and risk to women are recurring themes.

“These people coming over without any documentation,” says local Clare Jones as she points in the direction of two schools. “I’m not a racist. I’m just a concerned mum. I don’t feel safe in my own community.”

A man behind a mask who didn’t want to appear on camera says the media “sneers” at these protests because the media is middle class and “this is a working-class movement”.

Altrincham is one of Manchester’s most affluent towns, but there are much poorer areas close by.

The social demographic at the protests was mixed.

On either side of the A56 I met business owners, nurses, teachers and pensioners.

Both groups were also largely made up of locals.

Read more:
Protest outside hotel housing asylum seekers was peaceful. Suddenly, it all changed

Home Office threatens asylum seekers with homelessness

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A handful of social media “professional” protesters also turned up, pointing cameras at anything they could film – making selfie videos for their TikTok and YouTube followers.

A small line of police officers was in place to keep the peace.

The counter-protesters forming a line to protect the hotel. Described as “lefties” by the anti-migrant demonstrators, the counter-protesters feel that the people opposite are either “far right, fascists” or “being manipulated by the far right”.

Altrincham resident Alison O’Connell said “this is very frightening” as she pointed at the anti-migrant demonstrators. “We are just here to show support for the refugees in the hotel,” she added.

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Alison O’Connell

Counter-protester Steph Phoenix said: “Knowing personally people in the hotels, I know they are not coming for our money. These people are desperate. They don’t come over for a laugh, they are coming over because they are escaping something terrible in their own country.”

Nahella Ashraf, co-chair of Greater Manchester Stand Up To Racism, said: “There needs to be an honest conversation about what the problems are in society. Refugees are not to blame. People are worried about the cost of living crisis, but it’s not caused by refugees. By housing people in these hotels, we’ve not taken accommodation away from anyone in Britain.”

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Steph Phoenix, right, says the asylum seekers are ‘desperate’

Migrants disappeared into their rooms during the protest, some peering out of their bedroom windows.

Their voices are rarely heard in this debate.

The next day, hotel security advised them not to talk to us.

Those we did speak to all had stories of fleeing instability and threat. Some had just arrived, others had been here months.

Many were anxious about the protests, but equally not put off from their decision to come.

One said he had recently told a local who had been abusive: “I struggled to get here. It was just luck you were born here.”

The fears of increased crime expressed by residents in November don’t appear to have transpired. But Conservative councillor Nathan Evans, who called the first town meeting, says groups of men in the park, men praying in the public library and warning letters from schools to parents about groups of men near the school gates have all caused “an unease across the town”. He says he has warned the police of a “simmering issue”.

Protesters on either side don’t agree on much but both see the hotel as a symbol of broken promises from successive governments – a failure to manage migration in a way that doesn’t inflame communities. What remains is anger.

Managing and containing that anger is a growing challenge.

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How is Starmer’s government doing? Here’s what ‘end-of-term’ report from voters says

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How is Starmer's government doing? Here's what 'end-of-term' report from voters says

One year on, how’s Keir Starmer’s government going? We’ve put together an end-of-term report with the help of pollster YouGov.

First, here are the government’s approval ratings – drifting downwards.

It didn’t start particularly high. There has never been a honeymoon.

But here is the big change. Last year’s Labour voters now disapprove of their own government. That wasn’t true at the start – but is now.

And remember, it’s easier to keep your existing voter coalition together than to get new ones from elsewhere.

So we have looked at where voters who backed Labour last year have gone now.

YouGov’s last mega poll shows half of Labour voters last year – 51% – say they would vote for them again if an election was held tomorrow.

Around one in five (19%) say they don’t know who they’d vote for – or wouldn’t vote.

But Labour are also leaking votes to the Lib Dems, Greens and Reform.

These are the main reasons why.

A sense that Labour haven’t delivered on their promises is top – just above the cost of living. Some 22% say they’ve been too right-wing, with a similar number saying Labour have “made no difference”. Immigration and public services are also up there.

Now, YouGov asked people whether they think the cabinet is doing a good or a bad job, and combined the two figures together to get a net score.

John Healey and Bridget Phillipson are on top, but the big beats of Angela Rayner, Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves bottom.

But it’s not over for Labour.

Here’s one scenario – 2024 Labour voters say they would much prefer a Labour-led government over a Conservative one.

But what about a Reform UK-led government? Well, Labour polls even better against them – just 11% of people who voted Labour in 2024 want to see them enter Number 10.

Signs of hope for Keir Starmer. But as Labour MPs head off for their summer holidays, few of their voters would give this government an A*.

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