Harry Potter author JK Rowling previously schooled Hamza Yousaf on women rights
Hamza Yousaf has replaced Nicola Sturgeon as leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) to be Scotland's first minister.
- World News
- 2 min read
Hamza Yousaf has replaced Nicola Sturgeo as leader of the Scottish National Party to become Scotland's first minister. The 37-year-old health secretary won after gaining 52.1 per cent vote from SNP members leaving behind finance secretary Kate Forbes who received 47.9 per cent and third candidate former community safety minister Ash Regan who was eliminated from the race in the first voting round.
Although Yousaf is on his way to become the first minister of the country, he has lots of controversies surrounding him, and the major one remaining the women's rights issue that has been firmly raised by the British author JK Rowling's on the successor of Nicola Sturgeon over his stand on backing legislation that would have allowed rapists to be housed in women's prisons, despite having pledged that he would protect women's rights. On Twitter, Yousaf also posted a picture of himself holding up a large cardboard cutout of a pink heart with the text written on it, "Upholding Rights."
(Image: @HumzaYousaf)
To this Rowling sarcastically responded, saying "What a lovely pink heart. Now tell us why you voted down the amendment to stop rapists being housed in women’s jails, Humza Yousaf." The author of Harry Potter went on to add the names of three high-profile transgender criminals - Isla Bryson, Katie Dolatowski, and Paris Green.
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However, this isn't the first time that Yousaf has been vocal about his opinion on rights and equality. As now he assumes the country's most powerful office, he is likely to introduce some measures that would include improving support for sexual offense victims and having a gender-balanced Cabinet. Among other SNP members, Yousaf has only been the single leader who supported Sturgeon's controversial legislation allowing people to self-identify their legal gender.
It is pertinent to mention here that the same law was blocked by the British government because of the concern that the legislation would undermine protection for women's safe spaces but Yousaf said he wants to go to court to get the veto overturned if he becomes the first leader of the Scotland.