Who is Nadia El-Nakla? The wife of SNP favourite Humza Yousaf

The wife of one of Scotland's leading contenders for Nicola Sturgeon's job has her own political ambitions
Lisa Trainer
By Lisa Trainer
21st Feb 2023, 4:46pm

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Nadia El Nakla/Dundee City Council Nadia El Nakla/Dundee City Council
Nadia El Nakla/Dundee City Council

Nadia El-Nakla is married to one of Scotland's leading candidates in the race to become the next SNP leader and First Minister for Scotland, Humza Yousaf.

El-Nakla has her own ambitions in politics in Scotland though as she is an SNP councillor for the West End of Dundee, a position she won in May 2022.

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The 39-year-old lives in Broughty Ferry, a suburb four miles east of Dundee, with Yousaf who she married in 2019. The couple have one child together, and El-Nakla had a daughter from a previous marriage.

El-Nakla was born in Scotland but her paternal grandfather fled to Gaza in 1948 when he was dispossessed of his land by the Israelis. El-Nakla has been in constant contact with her remaining family in Gaza which includes her brother Mohammed, a doctor, his wife Duas and their five-year-old twin boys, Amjid and Majid, and girl, Layla. 

Humza Yousaf MSP Health Secretary is the husband of Nadia El-Nakla, here he is pictured listening to Scotland's First Minister and leader of the Scottish National party, Nicola Sturgeon, updating MSP's in any changes to coronavirus restrictions in the Scottish Parliament Building on September 08, 2021 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell-Pool/Getty Images)Humza Yousaf MSP Health Secretary is the husband of Nadia El-Nakla, here he is pictured listening to Scotland's First Minister and leader of the Scottish National party, Nicola Sturgeon, updating MSP's in any changes to coronavirus restrictions in the Scottish Parliament Building on September 08, 2021 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell-Pool/Getty Images)
Humza Yousaf MSP Health Secretary is the husband of Nadia El-Nakla, here he is pictured listening to Scotland's First Minister and leader of the Scottish National party, Nicola Sturgeon, updating MSP's in any changes to coronavirus restrictions in the Scottish Parliament Building on September 08, 2021 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell-Pool/Getty Images)

The SNP councillor is the first minority ethnic SNP candidate to be elected in Dundee and is hoping to inspire other women to get involved in politics through her work.

She said to The Courier in 2022: "For me, losing wouldn’t have been so personal other than the fact that women wouldn’t be represented for another five years.

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"I really want to take this time in the next five years as elected to invest in women and get them into politics because in the Broughty Ferry ward I don’t think we’ve ever seen a female councillor in I don’t know how long, so that needs to change.

"I’m so glad that women have a voice and I hope I can do a really good job for them," continued El-Nakla.

El-Nakla and Yousaf were suing Little Scholars Day Nursery in Broughty Ferry for £30,000 after an allegation it unfairly discriminated against their daughter.

But the action, launched at Dundee Sheriff Court, has now been dropped.

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It came after the couple reportedly worked with a newspaper to submit a number of false applications after being told there was no space for their daughter.

They alleged the nursery responded to the fake inquiries from mothers with 'non-ethnic' names, saying spaces were available.

A complaint to the Care Inspectorate alleging discrimination was partly upheld.

Related topics:2023Humza YousafSNPScotland

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