Yousaf will get £52k a year pension from day he leaves

HUMZA Yousaf’s brief stint as First Minister will see him paid more than £50,000 every year from the day he leaves office.

According to the Scottish Parliamentary Pensions Act 2009: ‘Under the First Minister and Presiding Officer pension scheme both the First Minister and Presiding Officer are entitled to an annual pension equivalent to 50 per cent of their office-holder salary payable from the day after ceasing to hold office, irrespective of their length of service in the post or their age.’

Given that Mr Yousaf’s final office-holder salary as FM was £104,584 he will receive £52,292 every year.

If he were to live to the age of 76 – the average life expectancy of a man in Scotland – he would receive £1,934,804.

In addition, as previously reported by the Mail, Mr Yousaf is due to receive a ‘resettlement grant’ of £52,292 just for leaving office.

Commenting on the payout, Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy told political website Guido Fawkes: ‘This significant payout will stick in the throat of hard-pressed Scottish taxpayers. While the payment is within the rules, they will see it as Humza Yousaf being rewarded for a year of failure as First Minister.’

Under Scottish parliament rules, ministers are entitled to a resettlement grant to prepare for life after stepping down from high office. While most receive three months’ salary, pensionable positions like the First Minister get more.

They are entitled to 50 per cent of their final salary or a percentage based on a calculation where the full number of years in the role is divided by 12 and multiplied by 100. The higher figure is paid out.

Mr Yousaf’s predecessor Nicola Sturgeon received £64,000 as a resettlement grant after she stood down as First Minister.