Former Labor Prime Minister Harold Wilson was right when he said that all political careers end in failure. His, of course, and also those of all his successors at the head of the British Government, Blair and Thatcher included. There are few exceptions to the general rule (Mandela, Franklin D. Rossevelt, Kennedy, De Gaulle...), but Nicola Sturgeon is not one of them.
His triumphs and successes have been numerous, eight elections won in a few more years in office, and the consolidation of the Scottish National Party (SNP) as a force dominating the country's politics to the point of exercising almost a monopoly. But he leaves without achieving his great goal: independence. And it leaves a party divided, in the midst of an existential crisis, even if it has an almost absolute majority in the Holyrood parliament.
The baton has been taken by Humza Yousaf, 37, who has been Minister for Transport, Justice and Health in the administrations of Sturgeon and her predecessor Alex Salmond, a Muslim and the son of Pakistanis, as well as British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Scottish Labor leader Anas Sarwar, his main opponent. The United Kingdom's Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, is of Indian origin, as was her predecessor Priti Patel, amid the unstoppable advance of ethnic minority politicians.
The announcement was made yesterday at Murrayfield Stadium, scene of both epic victories and bitter defeats for the Scottish rugby team. Yousaf won by a narrow margin (52% to 48%) over his main rival, Finance Minister Kate Forbes. From now on it is his mission to find a way to sovereignty, with the road blocked like a road full of mines by the English Executive (which is opposed to authorizing another referendum), and by the Supreme Court, which supports the London veto. "I am determined to make Scotland an independent country", were his first words.
Yousaf represents continuity rather than rupture, a temptation for many SNP supporters disappointed with the stagnation of the pro-independence cause, despite Brexit and the disaster of the last British governments. But he must develop a different strategy from that of Sturgeon, who crashed into the immobility of Westminster. The idea of a plebiscite election, or an unauthorized consultation, has been relegated. The lessons of Catalonia have been thoroughly studied in Edinburgh. The new leader proposes a more long-term route, starting to gain ground little by little, with good management, until 60% or 65% of Scots are in favor of leaving the United Kingdom (they now show between 45% and 50% of Scots, depending on the polls, a similar percentage to the 2014 referendum). His victory has been greeted with relief by unionists, as he does not propose a frontal clash.
It is true that the Scots have social benefits that the English can't even dream of (university fees and free tolls, assistance for the elderly), but Scotland is the European country with the highest incidence of drugs, life expectancy is three years less than in south of the border, obesity is a serious problem, school results are very poor and hospital waiting lists are extremely long. Also in England, but evil of many, consort of madmen.
Yousaf is also the continuation of the center-left in economic and environmental matters, inclusive social policies, the trans law approved at the behest of Sturgeon, the disincentive for the exploitation of oil and natural gas in the North Sea, higher taxes than of England and the reaffirmation of the collectivist and redistributive spirit.
