Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has urged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to bar Scottish Conservative MSP Stephen Kerr from standing for Westminster over questions raised about Scottish Government aid to Gaza. Brown’s criticism follows Kerr’s scrutiny of the Scottish Government’s decision to donate £250,000 to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Gaza, questioning the impartiality of First Minister Humza Yousaf in the process. Yousaf and SNP depute leader Keith Brown labelled Kerr’s actions as potentially fostering hate and division, with Humza Yousaf specifically dismissing the accusations as “Islamophobic.”

The dispute centers around the Scottish Government’s support for Gaza, with calls for transparency in decision-making from the Scottish Conservatives. Gordon Brown defends the aid as appropriate while condemning Kerr’s suitability as a candidate for further political office.

In a separate development, Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf met with the Council of Arab Ambassadors in London, affirming Scotland’s commitment to human rights and ceasefire efforts in Gaza. The meeting also highlighted Scotland’s attractiveness in sectors like renewables, education, and tourism.

Moreover, Yousaf, in his ongoing commitment to advocacy, is poised to criticize the Labour and Conservative parties at the London School of Economics for their handling of Brexit, linking it to a £1.6 billion shortfall in potential public services funding in Scotland. He argues that Scottish independence, followed by an EU membership, would significantly elevate living standards. His comments are part of a broader dialogue on Brexit’s negative economic impact and the vision of an independent Scotland rejoining the EU, contrasting with criticisms from Scottish Labour and the Conservatives targeting the SNP’s governance and economic policies.