Humza Yousaf’s Scottish Leadership Hangs in the Balance

Humza Yousaf’s future as Scotland’s First Minister hangs in the balance as the Scottish Green Party prepares to join with rival MSPs to back a no-confidence motion.

This comes after the SNP kicked its coalition partners out of government. 

Mr Yousaf announced his plan to cut ties with the Greens, following a bitter row over the SNP’s climbdown on climate targets.

Soon after, the Scottish Conservatives announced it would lodge a vote of no confidence in him, claiming the first minister had “failed” in his role and had “focused on the wrong priorities for Scotland”.

Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats agreed to back the motion.

Its success now hangs on whether Green Party MSPs joined the attack to give SNP critics a majority in Holyrood.

If the vote passes, it will still be up to Mr Yousaf to decide on how to respond.

However, it puts increasing pressure on his position if he fails to hold the confidence of the majority of the parliament.

If a no-confidence vote were to be passed on the government, the SNP government would have to resign and appoint a new first minister within 28 days or call an election.

Lorna Slater, co-leader of the Green Party, accused Mr Yousaf of “caving into the conservative, right-wing branch” of his party.

She said: “We supported Humza Yousaf to be first minister last year on the basis of a pro-independence majority government, where we would be working together to deliver rent controls, to deliver real change on climate, nature, new protections for tenants.

“Today the first minister decided to tear up that agreement.

“So we no longer have confidence in a progressive government in Scotland doing the right thing for climate and nature.”

The power-sharing deal between the SNP and the Greens was made in 2021 after Nicola Sturgeon’s party came in just shy of an outright majority in the Holyrood election of the same year.

Both backers of Scottish independence, the deal between the parties brought the Greens into government for the first time anywhere in the UK, with both Ms Slater and Patrick Harvie given ministerial posts.

But signs the agreement was running into difficulty came after the Scottish government scrapped its commitment to cut emissions by 75% by 2030.

The Greens were also angered at the pause of puberty blockers in the wake of the landmark Cass review of gender services for under-18s in England and Wales.

The party had been expected to hold a vote on the future of the agreement, but before they got a chance, Mr Yousaf summoned his cabinet and announced that the deal had “served its purpose”.

Humza Yousaf hoped to pursue a “less formal” agreement with his former partners and heralded what he called a “new beginning” for the SNP, saying his decision showed “leadership”.

But with the Greens now ready to join those against the SNP, there is a possibility it could instead prompt an end to his premiership.