Humza Yousaf’s dramatic resignation as Scottish First Minister after just over a year in the role comes days after the SNP-Green power-sharing agreement collapsed
Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf has dramatically quit sending the SNP into meltdown.
After just a year in charge, he resigned today ahead of votes later this week that could have brought down his leadership and his Government at Holyrood. Delivering his resignation statement, Mr Yousaf admitted “politics can be a brutal business” as he made his emotional speech in which he came close to tears.
He said he had “clearly underestimated the level of hurt and upset caused” after he terminated a power-sharing agreement with the Greens. He said: “For a minority government to be able to govern effectively, trust when working with the opposition is clearly fundamental.”
Mr Yousaf claimed the route through a no confidence vote was “absolutely possible”. But he said: “I am not willing to trade in my values or principles or do deals with whomever simply for retaining power.”
Speaking at a press conference at Edinburgh’s Bute House on Monday, he added: “After spending the weekend reflecting on what is best for my party, for the government and for the country I lead, I’ve concluded that repairing our relationship across the political divide can only be done with someone else at the helm. I have therefore informed the SNP’s national secretary of my intention to stand down as party leader.”
He also became emotional as he paid tribute to his family. Appearing to fight back tears, he said: “I am in absolute debt to my wonderful wife, my beautiful children and my wider family for putting up with me over the years. I’m afraid you will be seeing a lot more of me from now. You are truly everything to me.”
Mr Yousaf is understood to want veteran MSP John Swinney, who served as Nicola Sturgeon’s deputy, to take over as SNP leader. Other candidates may include Kate Forbes, who ran against Mr Yousaf, Neil Gray and Jenny Gilruth. SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn is also talked of as a future party leader, but he is an MP rather than an MSP.
Mr Yousaf’s grip on power had been hanging by a thread since he collapsed his party’s coalition deal with the Scottish Greens last week. On Friday the First Minister said he would fight on, insisting: “I’ve got every intention of winning that vote of no confidence”.
He required the support of at least one member of the opposition at Holyrood to win the no confidence vote, but had failed to either get an agreement with Alex Salmond’s Alba party or patch things up with the Greens over the weekend.
Scottish Green Party co-leader Patrick Harvie told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Monday morning: “I don’t think Humza Yousaf any more is in a position to be able to lead.” He added: “I don’t think there is anything that Humza Yousaf will be able to say to restore the trust he has broken.”
Mr Yousaf became the first British Asian and Muslim to hold the post of First Minister when he secured 52.1% of votes from party members, beating rival Kate Forbes in a second round of voting in March 2023.
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