Humza Yousaf not ‘comfortable’ with SNP’s name

First Minister Humza Yousaf has said he is not “comfortable” with the word “national” in his party’s name.

The Scottish National Party leader said the term could be “misinterpreted”.

He also warned that a police investigation into the party had “clearly” affected public perception.

Mr Yousaf told BBC Radio 4’s Political Thinking with Nick Robinson podcast the inquiry has been “one of the most difficult times” for the SNP and that he must work hard to rebuild trust.

Asked about his party’s title, he said: “I’ve never really been comfortable with the fact that we have national in our party’s name.”

The first minister said that was not because he thought founding members of the SNP had any “far-right nationalist inclination” but because the term can be “misinterpreted”.

He told the podcast the party had developed a “very strong brand” based on “civic” nationalism.

“We’re a party that believes it doesn’t matter really where you come from – what’s important is where are we going together,” the SNP leader said.

“And there’s no doubt about our politics being very routed in the left and the centre left of political discourse.”

Former SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said in 2017 that she would have changed the SNP’s name if she could “turn the clock back”.

She said the word “national” could be “hugely problematic”.

Mr Yousaf succeeded Ms Sturgeon as first minister in March last year.

Ms Sturgeon, her husband and former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell and treasurer Colin Beattie have since been arrested as part of the police investigation into SNP finances.

All were released without charge pending further investigation.

The arrests were part of Police Scotland’s Operation Branchform investigation, which centred on about £600,000 raised by the party for independence campaigning.

Mr Yousaf said: “The police investigation has been one of the most difficult times for the party.

“There’s no ifs or buts or maybes about it. There has clearly been an impact in terms of how we were perceived by the public and issues of trust and I’ve got to work hard, as I hope I have been doing over the last ten months.

“I’ve got to work hard to make sure that people know, whatever the outcome of that police investigation is, that the SNP is a party that they can trust.

“It’s been difficult, no doubt, for those involved. But difficult for us as a party and it’s certainly been a challenge for me in my first ten months.”

Mr Yousaf also spoke of the weeks that his parents-in-law were under siege in Gaza after the conflict broke out in October. They became trapped during a trip to visit relatives.

Elizabeth and Maged El-Nakla, from Dundee, were eventually able to leave Gaza through the Rafah crossing.

The first minister said: “The four weeks that my mother-in-law and father-in-law were in Gaza are probably the lowest points of my life and of Nadia’s life, they were really difficult four weeks, precisely because day by day and night by night, we did not know if they were going to live or not.”

Pressed on whether he would accuse Israel of “genocide”, Mr Yousaf said any potential breach of international law should be investigated by the International Court of Justice.

Mr Yousaf told the podcast the benefits of being first minister included being able to “make somebody’s day” but that “press intrusion” was one of the major drawbacks.

“There’s no getting away from it and your family, your children, being in the public,” he said.