Humza Yousaf 'cancels speech' as he desperately battles to stave off confidence vote

Release time：2024-05-08 16:34:13 Source：Global Glimmer news portal

Humza Yousaf has pulled out of a keynote speech today as he fights to save his political skin. 

The First Minister is frantically battling to cling on after a move to sack the Greens from his coalition disastrously backfired, leaving him facing a confidence vote.

Allies have insisted he is not going to quit, but an appearance at an event in Glasgow this lunchtime - where he was due to talk about Scottish independence - has been cancelled.  

His hopes could rest on Ash Regan, his former leadership rival who defected to Alex Salmond's Alba Party in protest at the SNP's stance on gender identity.

She has written to Mr Yousaf laying out demands for propping him up, including 'defending the rights of women and children'. That is thought to mean accepting the results of the Cass review, which criticised gender therapies, in full. 

When Ms Regan left the SNP Mr Yousaf described it as 'no great loss'. 

JK Rowling has waded into the row, saying it is 'karma' that the First Minister is now reliant on Ms Regan. 

Mr Yousaf attempted a dramatic power play yesterday by sacking Green ministers from his government, ending the so-called Bute House coalition agreement.

Tensions had been rising over trans and Net Zero policies and the SNP leader said he would be better running a minority administration.

However, the furious Greens declared they will support a no confidence motion tabled by the Scottish Tories.

With other parties ranged against him, that leaves Mr Yousaf at risk of defeat. Excluding the presiding officer there are 128 MSPs in total, and the SNP only has 63.

Ms Regan holds the balance, as if she supports the First Minister he would have 64 votes. In the event of a tie the presiding officer is meant to back the status quo, so he would be able to hold on.

Humza Yousaf was branded a 'lame duck First Minister' after he announced a major U-turn by scrapping the Bute House Agreement despite previously being its biggest cheerleader within the SNP

Alba MSP Ash Regan is yet to decide how she will vote next week

JK Rowling has waded into the row, saying it was 'karma' that the First Minister was now reliant on Ms Regan

If a majority of MSPs back the vote, which is likely to take place next week, Mr Yousaf would be under intense pressure to resign

Scottish Green Party co-leaders Patrick Harvie (left) and Lorna Slater (right) arrive for First Minister's Questions on Thursday. The Greens have said they will support a vote of no confidence in the First Minister

Scottish Labour has heaped further pressure on the SNP by lodging a no confidence motion in the entire Scottish Government, rather than just Mr Yousaf.

If passed, that could lead to a Scottish Parliament election.

Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: 'It's a matter now of when – not if – Humza Yousaf will step down as First Minister.

'It would be untenable for the SNP to assume it can impose another unelected first minister on Scotland.'

Rowling, a prominent women's rights campaigner, said on social media: 'The idea that Humza Yousaf's political fate may now lie in the hands of Ash Regan, the woman who left the SNP in disgust at its plans for gender self-ID, reminds me...'

She then shared the Tarot card Karma – which is also depicted as Judgment in some decks.

Speaking to the BBC's World Tonight, Ms Regan said: 'I have written to the First Minister today with a number of issues that I've raised with him on progress made towards independence, on how he will defend the rights of women and children and a return to competent governance.

'My vote will depend on really what Humza comes back with in response to my letter.'

She continued: 'I'm not setting out specific demands as such, I'm putting the ball into Humza's court for him to come back to me and explain to me how he will make progress in a couple of these areas, particularly around the return to a competent government.'

Allies of Mr Yousaf insisted he will 'come out fighting' in the face of a concerted effort by opponents to oust him.

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said he would be 'standing shoulder-to-shoulder' with Mr Yousaf, suggesting there will be room for 'reflection' by his critics over the next week.  

A source close to the First Minister insisted Mr Yousaf was 'absolutely not' considering his position following the chaotic events.

The confidence vote, expected Wednesday or Thursday next week, has been tabled against Mr Yousaf personally rather than the government.

As a result, he would not technically be obliged to quit if he loses. However, in reality it would be almost impossible for him to stay on.

There would then be 28 days to appoint a new First Minister who can command a majority before new Holyrood elections are triggered.  

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross said: 'We said from the beginning this was a coalition of chaos and it has ended in chaos. Humza Yousaf's government is in crisis. He claims it is now a new beginning, but really it is the beginning of the end. Isn't Humza Yousaf a lame duck First Minister?'

After he lodged the motion of no confidence, Mr Ross said: 'He was bounced into ditching the Bute House Agreement by his own MSPs. The only leadership he has shown has been weak. His time as First Minister is up.'

Mr Yousaf unilaterally announced the move without an SNP member vote following an emergency meeting of his Cabinet yesterday.

The Greens said they would back a no confidence vote.

Mr Yousaf speaking in parliament after the deal collapsed over what the Greens had seen as a gradual side-lining of their policies by the SNP

An animated Humza Yousaf in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday after the SNP's power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens collapsed

Scottish Greens co-leaders Lorna Slater (left) and Patrick Harvie (centre) speaking as the deal was brought to a premature end

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross (pictured in parliament on Thursday) said: 'We said from the beginning this was a coalition of chaos and it has ended in chaos'

Liz Lloyd, former chief of staff to Nicola Sturgeon, told BBC Radio Scotland's Drivetime programme: 'I think it is arguable that Humza Yousaf did need to end the agreement. But what wasn't needed was to end it in such a brutal fashion.

'It could have come to an end by agreement.

'It has led to the position where Humza Yousaf is hanging on a thread as to whether he can stay as First Minister.'

Former first minister Alex Salmond said: 'Humza has to understand he is no longer in the position of ruling the roost. I can only describe his tactics as kamikaze.

'He has insulted every opposition party in the parliament. There's a number of things you can and can't do when you are leading a minority administration, and one of them is not to insult all of the opposition parties.

'Humza is going to need to mend his ways and do it very quickly.'

Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie said: 'This chaotic and incompetent government is falling apart before our eyes while Scots pay the price.'

Alex Salmond described Ms Regan as 'the most powerful MSP' in parliament

At an 8am meeting with Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater, Mr Yousaf told them he would be 'terminating' their ministerial roles. He then met his Cabinet to inform them. Mr Yousaf's spokesman said ministers banged on the table in approval.

Just days prior to the announcement, Mr Yousaf publicly backed the partnership agreement.

At a press conference yesterday he denied he had made a weak and reactive decision.

He was asked if he was a 'lame duck leader who is heading for the exit door' and he responded: 'No, not at all. We are taking control as a party and indeed as a government on our priority terms.'

Former leadership rival Kate Forbes insisted she would support him in the no confidence vote.

Fergus Ewing, who repeatedly spoke out against the Bute House Agreement, challenged Mr Yousaf to 'do a spring clean of the policies and programmes'.

Sturgeon and the greens celebrate the signing of the agreement in August 2021. The deal has now been scrapped by Humza Yousaf 

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