ONE of the SNP's longest servings MSPs has accused Humza Yousaf of taking credit for the work of other ministers.
Christine Grahame also suggested Mr Yousaf was not being entirely honest for the reasons behind his missed vote on equal marriage in 2014.
He claims he had an “unavoidable” meeting to discuss a mentally ill Scot on death row in Pakistan.
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However, Alex Salmond, the first minister at the time, and a number of other senior government figures have suggested that is not accurate, and that he missed the vote due to pressure from the mosque.
“He didn't have to have that meeting,” Ms Grahame told ITV Border. “It's an easy thing to move it in your diary, and I believe firmly for his own reasons which I accept, he was not there.
Humza Yousaf 'takes credit for others work', Christine Grahame says.
— Representing Border (@ITVBorderRB) March 14, 2023
The SNP MSP - who backs Kate Forbes - attacks his record, saying he avoids responsibility for mistakes.
But minister @MairiMcAllan defends the Health Secretary.#SNPLeadershipElection pic.twitter.com/a1LjifAFBL
In the interview, Ms Grahame - who is backing Kate Forbes for the leadership - also attacked Mr Yousaf’s track record as a minister.
“Humza Yousaf took credit for the Queensferry crossing. He was at the tail end of it.
“He took credit for Covid. [Forner health minitser] Jeane Freeman was the dynamo that took us through the Covid crisis, took us through that, he came in at the tail end.
“What I've seen from Humza is taking credit for others' work and not taking the blame for things he's responsible for. And to put it in this context, his handling of the NHS has hardly been the best.”
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She said Ms Forbes was respected in Parliament “in a way that Humza Yousaf is not.”
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