HUMZA Yousaf has questioned whether Keir Starmer is fit for high office – and urged the Labour leader not to blindly follow America if he becomes the next prime minister.

The First Minister accused the Labour leader of “endorsing collective punishment” of Palestinians at the beginning of the war in Gaza – by saying Israel “has that right” to cut of water and other essential supplies.

Yousaf said Starmer must not act like Britain’s last Labour government did over the Iraq War and urged the Labour leader to “think about what is right for the world” when it came to foreign policy.

In an exclusive interview with The National’s regular contributor Owen Jones, Yousaf said: “Keir Starmer has completely lost his moral compass. Whether they’re complicit or not crimes may be for others to judge.

"But for me, there can be no justification for the statements that Keir Starmer has made and continues to make. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to shake off the image of the clip where Keir Starmer was effectively endorsing collective punishment at the very beginning.”

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Asked whether he believed these comments made him unfit to hold the office of prime minister, Yousaf said: “I do have questions about whether or not, when it comes to international affairs, when it comes to domestic policy, actually he’s fit enough to be prime minister, given the questions that this issue alone has raised.”

The First Minister reiterated his belief that Starmer would be handed the keys to No 10 after the next election, but added: “What I’d urge Keir Starmer to really think about is when it comes to issues of foreign affairs, even when it comes to domestic issues, but particularly foreign affairs; don’t be led by other governments.

“Don’t be led by what you think simply others want us to do. Think about what is right for the world.”

And he said Starmer’s actions were “similar to what a previous Labour government did when it came to the Iraq War”.

Yousaf added: “And the US is always going to be a close ally of Scotland’s, of course it is.

“Being a close ally doesn’t mean you have to do and say the exact same things as your close ally is doing or saying, so you have to be able to stand up and think what is right based on you own principles, your own morals. And for me, that;s what been missing from Keir Starmer’s position.”

Yousaf was also asked about his position on Labour reportedly taking issue with the SNP accusing Israel of “collective punishment” in Gaza – which led to a major row in the Commons when Labour were accused of hijacking an SNP opposition day debate on the issue.

The First Minister said: “The fact that he deliberately chose to put forward a motion that deleted ‘collective punishment’ when all of the evidence points towards 2.2 million people in Gaza suffering collective punishment to me is unforgivable.”

Labour were approached for comment.

Read the full Owen Jones interview in print and online on Tuesday