Why is Elon Musk in a racism row with Scotland's ex-first minister?

Recently, a heated argument has erupted between Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of Twitter, now known as X, and Humza Yousaf, the former first minister of Scotland. This conflict has been brewing for several years, but it intensified over the weekend when Musk labeled Yousaf a 'scumbag' and accused him of 'loathing' white people. This exchange followed Yousaf's remarks, where he referred to Musk as a 'dangerous race baiter' and one of the most perilous individuals on the planet. The tension between these two figures can be traced back to Musk's management of X and his comments during recent far-right riots in England and Northern Ireland. The roots of this dispute go back to the summer of 2020, during the pandemic, when Yousaf, who was then the justice secretary, addressed the Scottish Parliament. He spoke about the need to show solidarity with anti-racism demonstrations that were sparked by the tragic murder of George Floyd. Yousaf pointed out that Scotland has a significant issue with structural racism, stating that in 99% of the meetings he attends, he is the only non-white person present. He highlighted the lack of diversity in senior positions across various sectors, including law enforcement and the health sector, emphasizing that this is a collective failure that everyone should acknowledge. Yousaf's speech was widely circulated on social media, particularly by right-wing accounts that misrepresented his comments. By October 2023, Musk had taken to social media to label Yousaf a 'blatant racist,' misinterpreting Yousaf's concerns about racial injustice as a complaint about the number of white people in Scotland. Yousaf responded to the backlash by sharing a humorous gif from a BBC comedy, indicating that he was unfazed by the racist comments directed at him. His spokesperson stated that Yousaf has faced racist abuse throughout his life and urged Musk to use his platform to combat racism instead of allowing it to thrive. The situation escalated further after a series of violent protests in England and Northern Ireland, which Musk criticized, suggesting that civil unrest was inevitable. Yousaf condemned Musk's comments, calling him one of the most dangerous men on the planet and accusing him of using his wealth to amplify far-right ideologies. Musk retaliated by calling Yousaf 'super, super racist' and claimed that Scotland had given him everything, yet he despises white people. The conflict reached a boiling point when Yousaf's lawyer indicated that legal action might be taken against Musk for his inflammatory remarks. Yousaf himself stated that Musk is a dangerous race baiter who must be held accountable for his actions. Musk, in turn, dared Yousaf to sue him, asserting that legal discovery would reveal Yousaf's true character. As of now, Yousaf has chosen not to comment further on the matter, while Musk has been known to avoid media interviews. With Musk having significantly reduced the staff at Twitter and now responding to media inquiries with a simple emoji, it appears that this war of words will continue, either on social media or potentially in a courtroom. Regardless of the outcome, it is evident that the differences between Musk and Yousaf are far from resolved.