Former First Minister Humza Yousaf will stand down as an MSP on the 2026 Holyrood election.

The ex-SNP chief has been a backbencher since resigning as first minister in April.

Taking to X, previously Twitter, he mentioned: “Come 2026, I’ll have served 15 years as an MSP.

“The time shall be proper for me to maneuver on.”

In a letter to his successor, John Swinney, Mr Yousaf mentioned the following election could be the “proper time” to maneuver on from parliament.

He wrote: “I wrestle to search out the phrases to appropriately convey what an honour it’s to sit down in our nation’s parliament because the elected consultant for Glasgow Pollok.”

Mr Yousaf added: “The subsequent Scottish Parliament elections in 2026 would be the proper time for me to maneuver on, to supply a chance for the following technology of MSPs to step ahead, and to discover the place I can greatest make a contribution sooner or later, in serving to to sort out a number of the most urgent challenges our world faces.”

Mr Yousaf insisted his choices to finish the SNP’s powersharing cope with the Scottish Greens, a transfer which led to him resigning as first minister, was the right choice.

In an interview this morning, he mentioned: “My successor is not encumbered with that deal, (he) could make choices in coverage that he desires to take ahead in our nation’s curiosity with out having to barter and compromise with the Greens.

“They’ll try this on a problem by difficulty foundation, which I believe is one of the best ways to do it.”

Mr Yousaf additionally mentioned his on-line feud with Elon Musk the place he accused the US billionaire of amplifying “disinformation”.

Warning of Mr Musk’s political affect, Mr Yousaf mentioned: “He (Musk) is outwardly sitting within the interviews for chief of employees, for secretaries of state and residing in Mar-a-Lago.

“And if he’s attempting to emulate that affect within the subsequent UK basic election, that ought to – as I say – ring alarm bells proper up and down the nation.”