Humza Yousaf has resigned as Scotland’s first minister as his government faced two votes of no confidence following the decision to break up the power-sharing agreement with the Green Party.
Mr. Yousaf said on Monday, “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 the relationship across the political divide can only be done with someone else at the helm.”
He said he had asked the national secretary to commence a leadership contest for his replacement “as soon as possible.”
Mr. Yousaf, as first minister, faced a vote of no confidence from the Scottish Conservatives and another from Scottish Labour, which has tabled one for the whole Scottish government.
The Scottish Parliament is not due to have elections until May 2026 and it appears the SNP will now try to soldier on until that date with a new leader.
Kate Forbes, who narrowly lost to Mr. Yousaf in last year’s leadership election, is the favourite to replace him but other contenders are 60-year-old John Swinney, a former leader of the SNP, and Mairi McAllan, 31, who is tipped as a future leader.
Mr. Swinney paid tribute to the outgoing first minister: “Humza Yousaf has been a pioneer, the first person of colour to hold office as first minister. He has given principled and empathetic leadership to our country and has worked tirelessly to bring people together.”
The Greens have suggested they could not work with Ms. Forbes, a Free Church of Scotland member who is opposed to gender politics.
A Downing Street spokesman said the government would work with Mr. Yousaf’s successor to, “deliver for people in Scotland, whether it’s growing the economy, delivering jobs, enhancing energy security.”
There are 129 MSPs, of which 63 are SNP members, 31 are Conservatives, 22 are Labour, seven are Greens, and six are from the other parties including the Liberal Democrats and Scottish Alba Party.
The single Scottish Alba Party member, Ash Regan, left the SNP because she did not agree with the party’s stance on gender ideology and self-ID.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross claimed the SNP had, “forced Humza Yousaf out of office for repeatedly failing Scotland.”
Tories Say Yousaf Faced ‘Humiliating Defeat’
“Faced with our vote of no confidence, the SNP leader has quit rather than face a humiliating defeat,” added Mr. Ross.
The Scottish Tory leader said he could not forgive Mr. Yousaf for the, “damage he did to families and households across Scotland by raising taxes, letting NHS waiting lists spiral and attacking free speech.”
The SNP got into bed with the Greens in 2021 after the-then First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, fell short of a majority at Holyrood by a single seat.
Yousaf Accused of ‘Political Cowardice’
After Mr. Yousaf announced the SNP was pulling out of the agreement, the Green Party’s co-leaders, Lorna Slater and Patrick Harvie, accused him of “political cowardice.”In his speech on Monday, Mr. Yousaf said: “Unfortunately in ending the Bute House Agreement in the matter I did I clearly underestimated the level of hurt and upset that caused Green colleagues.”
“For a minority government to be able to govern effectively trust when working with the opposition is clearly fundamental,” he added.
Prior to Mr. Yousaf’s announcement, Mr. Harvie said he bore no “personal ill will” toward the first minister.
Mr. Harvie said, “But it is clear that Humza Yousaf, in the decision that he made last week has broken trust with the Scottish Greens, cannot command a majority in Parliament and we stand ready to work with someone who can.”
The Greens were also unhappy with the government’s decision to pause the prescription of puberty blockers to children at Scotland’s only gender clinic for young people, made in the wake of the damning Cass Review into gender services in England and Wales.
Opinion polls suggest the SNP will lose a number of seats at the upcoming general election to Labour and the Tories.
The past six months have been particularly trying for Mr. Yousaf as the Palestinian parents of his wife, Nadia El-Nakla, spent a month trapped in Gaza after Hamas launched its attack on Israel on October 7.
Mr. Yousaf was on the verge of tears as he ended his resignation speech with a tribute to his family.
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.”
Ms. Sturgeon, writing on social media platform X, said: “I know how big a privilege being first minister is, but also the toll it can take. I also know what a wrench it is to step aside, even when sure it is the right thing to do.”
“Humza has conducted himself with grace, dignity and integrity—both as first minister and in the manner of his leaving. I am and always will be proud to call him a friend,” she added.
