Former First Minister spotted at stand-up gig

When The Stand came under pressure from trans rights campaigners for booking SNP MP Joanna Cherry at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe, Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf said he hoped she would be allowed to appear.

But while he is no longer in charge in Holyrood, Yousaf clearly remains a fan of the club’s booking policy – as he was spotted in the audience of the venue’s Glasgow outpost last week.

Yousaf, who resigned as FM in May but remains MSP for Glasgow Pollock, went to the venue founded by SNP politician Tommy Sheppard on Wednesday night to watch Tez Ilyas’s stand-up show After Eight.

Like Ilyas, Yousaf – whose parents-in-law were stuck in Gaza when Israel's bombing campaign began– is a staunch advocate for Palestinians' rights.

But he must have steeled himself during Ilyas' satirical routine about the success of British-Asian politicians ascending to the highest offices in the land.

As it was, his name-check, alongside the likes of Rishi Sunak, Sadiq Khan, Suella Braverman and Priti Patel, saw him escape relatively unscathed.

Still, it can't have escaped his notice that alongside a few cheers for him, there was a vocal smattering of pantomime boos – even though he put a brave face on it.

Ilyas declined to comment on his famous audience member when contacted by Chortle through his agents.

Published: 11 Nov 2024