Humza Yousaf won the leadership of the SNP in the second round with 52.1% of the 50,000 member votes after Ash Regan had been knocked out. Kate Forbes who had lambasted his record saying when he was transport secretary, the trains were always late; when he was justice secretary the police were in crisis; as health secretary he oversaw record NHS waiting lists, came second. A senior Tory was equally blunt. “He keeps saying he’s been in government for ten and a half years. No one can think of a single thing he has got right. He’s anti-business, anti-monarchy and he’s very strongly anti the UK state.”
He was the continuity candidate supported by Sturgeon which may tell against him since a recent poll found found half of adults north of the border felt things in Scotland were going in the wrong direction and the Scottish Government had done a bad job in various areas from the NHS to managing the economy.
One columnist wrote that he ‘has been thrown in at the deep end before he’s shown he can swim. He’ll need more than armbands to avoid the shortest tenure in the party’s history.’
His election will retain the support of the Green’s which is vital for the SNP’s power-sharing agreement and their input was one reason for the trans tangle which embroiled Sturgeon before she left.
The election has been keenly watched in Westminster since the SNP is the third largest group of MPs in the Commons with 45 of Scotland’s 59 seats.
Yousaf, born 7 April 1985 in Glasgow into a Punjab, Pakistan immigrant family, has a charming Sun Venus in Aries in a lively trine Uranus and sextile Jupiter in Aquarius. This sparkling side to his personality is somewhat over shadowed by a heavier set of three Scorpio planets, ranging from Pluto, Moon to Saturn sitting across from Mars in Taurus conjunct the North Node. Mars square Jupiter can be an opportunist or at least given to rash choices. If his Moon is opposition Mars square Jupiter he may also be prone to over-confidence, a tendency to expect results without too much effort. His Mercury in Capricorn is also in an evasive square to Neptune.
Neptune is his only earth planet so he won’t be overly realistic or practical. Tr Pluto is sextile his Jupiter/Node midpoint which will give him a lift for a couple of months. Though he also looks unnerved with tr Uranus conjunct his Mars at the moment and then late April/early May conjunct his North Node at 18 degrees Taurus.
His midpoints are not cheering ahead with disasters mid July onwards, on and off into 2024. What will have more impact is his Solar Arc Neptune conjunct his Jupiter mid to late 2024 which will dent his self-confidence and bring disappointment.
Nicola Sturgeon was known for her iron grip on party discipline which is well reflected in her first Term chart of 20 November 2014 – with its ruthless Mars Pluto in Capricorn and rigid Sun Saturn in Scorpio. Yousaf will not have the same firm hand on the tiller of a party already riven by divisions, facing a questionable past record in government, failing public services and an unclear future strategy.
Yousaf’s relationship with Sunak will be superficially diplomatic with an underlying resentment at the power imbalance and intense discussions which won’t produce much progress over the next two or three years.
He was voted in as First Minister at 3.03pm today and will be sworn in tomorrow.
His Win chart has a change-of-direction or unpredictable Uranus in the 10th with high enthusiasm from Jupiter Mercury in Aries in the 9th. An unrealistic, evasive or indecisive Neptune in the financial 8th along with the Sun suggests a lacklustre struggle to balance the books. Pluto in the 6th usually indicates a drive to regenerate what has become broken down but inconjunct Mars Moon in the 11th hints that progress will be slow with a restive and irritable population, especially amongst women.
As if 08:43, the coalition with the Greens has collapsed. Could we have a more updated forecast please Marjorie?
Thank you Marjorie for your postings. And for all the fascinating comments too.
Hamza’s Sun at 17 Aries is exactly conjunct the SNP 7th April 1934 Sun at 17 Aries and within a degree of its Mars at 18 Aries. I think that suggested he might became leader. His Solar Arc Sun at 24 Taurus is moving to square the SNP Saturn at 25 Aquarius next year. Both Hamza and the SNP will be hit by the total Solar Eclipse at 19 Aries on 8th April 2024. That might be make or break time.
Interestingly, Jupiter will conjunct Rishi Sunak’s Sun in April 2024.
General election at that time?
interesting! I don’t think the May elections will be as bad as predicted for him this year.
Very interesting astrology. The chart for the Dynastic Union of England and Scotland, 3 April 1603, seems to be involved too. It has Mars 17 Aries – Hamza’s Sun, SNP Sun and Mars – transiting Jupiter and Mercury lighting them all up this month, but looking quite hot-headed or impulsive.
I noticed that Hamza’s Saturn in Scorpio is conjunct the Scorpio NN for the Dynastic Union chart, which seems to bring up the history between Scotland and England. Also, the DU chart has Uranus 11 Taurus, conjunct the UK Union Mars, with Hamza’s Jupiter squaring onto those for what looks like a bumpy ride.
His Solar Arc Uranus at 24 Capricorn squares the Dynastic Union Mercury conjunct Pluto at 24/5 Aries. There are other links with the May 12th 1707 chart for the Constitutional Union of Britain and Scotland as well. One is the Aries NN at 26 degrees. Transiting Nodes enter Aries in mid July, when Marjorie notes:
“His midpoints are not cheering ahead with disasters mid July onwards, on and off into 2024.”
I remain unsure about how long this man will last as First Minister. Hugh’s mention of the Eclipse next April certainly makes it one to watch.
I have been reading about the dynastic Union of England and Scotland in 1603. What tends to be forgotten is that the ascension of James VI of Scotland to the English throne as James I destabilised British politics and led to Civil War within 40 years. On a more mundane level the arrival of James and his entourage who seem often to have been an uncouth bunch of drunks was horrifying to an English court used to the more sober refined manners of the Elizabethan Tudor world. In many ways it was an ill starred event
Funnily enough, I am just starting to read ‘The Restless Republic’ about Cromwell’s time from the perspective and experiences of nine individuals. It seems to me that from James VI/I onwards, much of this history has been neglected or misunderstood in popular culture. There’s lots about the Tudors, some Civil War stuff, and then Charles II! And the same applies to Scotland. Centuries of tension, poorly represented or ignored. I came across this:
“the question of the Union will, I am assured, be dropped; for His Majesty is now well aware that nothing can be effected, both sides displaying such obstinacy that an accommodation is impossible; and so his Majesty is resolved to abandon the question for the present, in hope that time may consume the ill-humours”.Nicolo Molin, Venetian Ambassador to Britain, 1605
Also, it’s interesting that the Dynastic Union 1603, and the Glorious Revolution, 1689, both have Uranus in Taurus.
I found it interesting that within a few months of each other, Britain has its first Hindu PM and Scotland has a Muslim FM. Regardless of her lack of success, we can also remember that when Liz Truss became Prime Minister, it was historic that none of the big four jobs (PM, Chancellor, Home & Foreign Secretary) were being filled by a white male.
I would say it’s a very Aquarius era thing and we had Jupiter and Saturn going through there followed now by Pluto.
What comes to mind immediately is ‘ The Emperors New Clothes ‘