Humza Yousaf’s Leadership Hangs in the Balance as Scottish Greens Support No-Confidence Motion

Humza Yousaf, the First Minister of Scotland, finds himself in a precarious position following a major political miscalculation. The decision to end the Bute House Agreement with the Scottish Greens has left his leadership hanging by a thread, contingent on the support of Alba party MSP Ash Regan, a former SNP minister who lost to Yousaf in last year’s party leadership contest, told by Daily Mail.

The vote of no confidence, initiated by Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross, came after Yousaf’s abrupt termination of the cooperative agreement with the Greens. In a twist of fate, the Greens have decided to support the motion alongside Scottish Labour and the Liberal Democrats, further jeopardizing Yousaf’s position, reported Sky News.

Alex Salmond, Alba leader and former first minister, outlined the conditions under which Regan would support Yousaf. These include commitments to progress towards independence, guarantees for the protection of women and girls, and a plan to restore competence to the Scottish Government.

If Yousaf loses the vote, he is not mandated to resign, but such a defeat would likely render his leadership untenable. When asked about the possibility of resignation, Yousaf’s spokesperson refrained from speculating on “hypothetical” scenarios.

Earlier, Yousaf had informed his Cabinet of his decision to oust the Greens from the government, citing the recent instability in Parliament as a catalyst. At a hastily arranged press conference at Bute House, he declared, “It is no longer guaranteeing a stable arrangement in Parliament, the events of recent days have made that clear, and therefore, after careful consideration, I believe that going forward it is in the best interest of the people of Scotland to pursue a different arrangement.”

Yousaf announced to Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater, co-leaders of the Greens, that their ministerial roles were terminated and the cooperation agreement was nullified, marking a “new beginning for this SNP Government.”

Despite defending the agreement publicly until recently, Yousaf claimed the reversal demonstrated strong leadership rather than weakness. “As leader of the Government, leader of the party that elected me, I’ve got to make sure I do what’s in the best interests of Scotland,” he stated.

However, the Greens responded with indignation to their removal. Harvie accused Yousaf of succumbing to the most conservative elements within the SNP, potentially diluting progressive policies. Slater condemned the move as “an act of political cowardice,” asserting that Yousaf’s actions have shown him to be untrustworthy in political cooperation.

With the no-confidence motion officially lodged at First Minister’s Questions, Yousaf’s political future now heavily relies on his ability to secure Regan’s crucial support amidst escalating internal and external pressures.