Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
How do city people feel about local man Humza Yousaf as he quits job?
Consensus is that first minister’s time was up
DUNDEE’S Humza Yousaf won’t be first minister for much longer after his resignation on Monday – but what do locals make of his exit?
We asked residents in the city centre if they were surprised to see him go, if they were glad about his departure, and what they reckon comes next.
There was a consensus among Mr Yousaf’s supporters and detractors that his time was up in the top job after a turbulent week.
The outgoing SNP leader ditched the Greens from his government, which left him without enough support to survive in parliament.
“I think it’s pretty inevitable after what happened with the Bute House Agreement,” said David Crutchley, 75, who lives in the city centre, “I’m not surprised.”
“I think he’s a nice guy, an honest guy and I quite like him, but not great as a first minister.”
Asked how he would rate Mr Yousaf out of 10, he said: “Probably a five.”
The pensioner reckoned Kate Forbes – who was defeated in last year’s leadership contest – would be a better option to replace him than Perthshire’s John Swinney.
He said: “I think she’s more competent, she knows her stuff and she comes across well – I think she’d be a popular choice.”
Fellow Dundonian Alastair Macdougall was not shocked by the first minister’s departure either – and reckoned tough times lie ahead for the SNP.
“I wasn’t a fan, it doesn’t surprise me,” he said.
“I’d like John Swinney to take over, and that way they (the SNP) will definitely get put out.
“I think, in the next general election, they’re in for a big shock.”
Few people in Dundee welcomed Mr Yousaf’s exit more than lifelong resident George Giblin, 77.
“I think it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to Scotland,” he gleefully said.
Rating his performance out of 10, he said: “I’d give him a zero. He’s failed in everything.”
He was also unimpressed by the prospect of Mr Swinney – a former SNP leader – succeeding Mr Yousaf.
“It would just be more of the same,” he said, adding that he would like to see an election at Holyrood as soon as was possible. But not everyone was so pleased by the first minister’s decision to quit on Monday.
SNP supporter Helen Campbell, 62, said: “I just feel terribly sad for him – I felt that he was doing quite a good job.”
On rating him, she added: “I would have given him seven. He wasn’t Nicola, but I think he performed quite well.”
Ms Campbell, from Monikie, believed Mr Swinney was the best option to replace the outgoing SNP leader.
She said: “I thought it would be nice for him to get a shot at it.”
She was less positive about Ms Forbes, saying: “I know that she’s a Christian, but I feel sometimes some of her views are a little too right-wing.”
Labour supporter Jim Cunningham, also from Dundee, took a negative view of Mr Yousaf’s time in power.
He said: “He wasn’t doing a very good job.
“Sturgeon I had a wee bit of time for, but Humza? Not for me.”
Mr Cunningham reckoned Ms Forbes would have done a better job had she won the SNP leadership contest last March.
He said: “She would have been a threat to the Labour Party.”
Donald Hay, 62, also from Dundee, took a more balanced perspective, even though he reckoned Mr Yousaf had to go.
He said: “I don’t think I’m very surprised after the way he treated the Greens.
“He had a lot of handicaps before he even started – he’s probably done the best that he could do.”
But should it come to a vote between Mr Swinney and Ms Forbes, he pointed out only a narrow band of SNP members will have a say.
He said: “Whatever I think is really not important, it’s what the SNP think – it’s a lucky dip.”