I fear we're losing a generation to hate

FORMER first minister Humza Yousaf has warned Scotland risks losing a generation of boys and young men to far-right extremists and misogynists.

- BY DAN VEVERS Chief Reporter

In an exclusive Sunday Mail interview, the ex-SNP leader slammed successive UK governments for "legitimising and mainstreaming" racist views on immigration.

It comes after statistics this month revealed the number of Scots youngsters referred to the government-led, multi-agency Prevent counter-terrorism programme has doubled. About 90 per cent of referrals are male, with extreme right-wing views the most common reason for referral.

Yousaf, who was Scotland's leader between March 2023 and May last year, warned the emboldened far-right is "literally on the march" - even around our primary schools.

Last week, two schools, in Glasgow and Inverness, were hit with protests linked to immigration that were branded "toxic".

The majority of pupils referred to the Prevent scheme are from secondary schools with 60 boys under 15 referred last year, compared with 28 in 2017-18. Meanwhile, 65 males aged 15-20 were referred to Prevent in 2024-25, compared with 34 seven years ago.

Yousaf, the first Muslim leader of a Western democracy, said: "As first minister, I held a round table with a number of organisations doing work with young men and young boys, because we could see there was an upsurge in what was often called toxic masculinity. I don't think we have people preaching what is positive masculinity to tackle the toxic traits advocated by the likes of Andrew Tate, Tommy Robinson and others.

"No government, including here in Scotland, has been able to work out how to promote that positive alternative. And we are losing our young boys and men - I don't say this lightly - to extremists, to misogynists and to radicals, and we have to really take this as a national priority before it's far too late."