“POLITICS CAN BE A BRUTAL BUSINESS”: HUMZA YOUSAF RESIGNS AS SCOTLAND’S FIRST MINISTER

As the leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and the country’s first minister, Humza Yousaf has resigned.

The move comes shortly after Yousaf broke up the SNP’s coalition with the Scottish Greens, which led to the opposition parties putting up two no-confidence motions that Yousaf was predicted to lose.

“I am not willing to trade my values and principles or do deals with whomever simply for retaining power,” Yousaf said during a televised announcement.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Humza Yousaf resigns as Scotland’s first minister

Yousaf’s decision comes as he faces likely defeat in two forthcoming confidence votes brought by opposition parties.

“I am not willing to trade my values and principles or do deals with whomever simply for retaining power,”… pic.twitter.com/2hAQi0Zwf4

— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) April 29, 2024

Glasgow-born Yousaf, whose paternal grandparents and father emigrated to Scotland from Pakistan in the 1960s, had been hailed as a polished communicator who the SNP hoped would be able to unite the fractured SNP.

The pro-independence SNP’s fortunes have faltered amid a funding scandal and the resignation of Nicola Sturgeon as party leader last year. An internal struggle has followed over how progressive the party should pitch its policies as it seeks to woo back voters.

Earlier this month, Yousaf said he was “quite confident” that he could win a no-confidence vote. However, by Monday, his offer of talks with other parties to bolster his minority government was uncertain.

The Muslim head of a major political party and Scotland’s youngest elected leader, Yousaf said he had “underestimated” the level of hurt after ending a power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens last week. 

As support flagged for the SNP’s central policy – independence for Scotland from the rest of the United Kingdom – he took charge in March 2023 after winning a leadership battle. 

However, he reflected on the historic nature of his period in power, noting that the UK’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s ethnic background is also South Asian.

“I could never have dreamt that one day, I would have the privilege of leading my country,” he said. “People who looked like me were not in positions of political influence, let alone leading governments, when I was younger.”