Humza Yousaf resigns as Scotland’s first minister — follow live

Humza Yousaf has announced his intention to resign as Scotland’s first minister ahead of a vote of confidence in his leadership.

The first minister said he had “clearly underestimated the level of hurt and upset” that the abrupt end of the Bute House agreement, the SNP’s power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens, would cause.

He will continue in his post until the SNP elect a new leader.

Yousaf was facing a confidence vote tabled by the Scottish Conservatives, while Scottish Labour had tabled a motion of no confidence in the Scottish government as a whole. Both were expected to take place this week.

Humza Yousaf was still trying to do a deal with Alba this morning to stay on as first minister, Alex Salmond has claimed (Laurence Sleator writes).

The former SNP first minister, who now leads the Alba Party, told the BBC that “forces within” the SNP prevented Yousaf from striking an agreement. Salmond said: “This idea that Humza Yousaf didn’t want to do a deal with Alba is simply untrue. At half past seven this morning he was trying to do a deal with Alba and complimented the proposals we made as ‘very reasonable’.

“The reason he didn’t do a deal with Alba is forces within his party stopped him from doing it — let’s call them the old guard. The ultimate problem for Humza was he wasn’t actually in control of his own party which is why he wasn’t able to survive over the next week.”

Senior SNP figures have praised Humza Yousaf, as the first minister announced he is to stand down (Laurence Sleator writes).

Fergus Ewing, the MSP for Inverness & Nairn, said: “Humza Yousaf was dealt perhaps the worst hand of political cards of any new leader of the SNP.

“His statement today was dignified and emotional. He worked hard, was and is an extremely personable man, and his term of office saw many problems arise not of his making.”

Nicola Sturgeon, his predecessor as first minister, said she knew more than anyone the toll the job could take. “I also know what a wrench it is to step aside, even when sure it is the right thing to do,” she wrote on social media.

Stephen Flynn, the SNP’s Westminster leader, said Yousaf had served with “integrity, compassion and commitment” during his time in the job.

John Swinney, the former deputy first minister of Scotland, says he is giving “careful consideration” to standing in the SNP leadership contest.

Swinney, who served as deputy to Nicola Sturgeon until last year, said he had been “overwhelmed” by requests from people wanting him to stand. He said he would now discuss it with his family.

Asked if he was considering standing to be Scotland’s next first minister, Swinney said: “I’m giving very careful consideration to standing to be the leader of the SNP.

“I’ve been somewhat overwhelmed by the requests that have been made for me to do that.”

Business leaders called for stability and for the new first minister to focus on the economy (Greig Cameron writes).

Catherine McWilliam, from the Institute of Directors Scotland, said: “Business confidence is low in Scotland and another change in leadership at government level will do nothing to remedy that.

“The priority for the next first minister must be to restore business confidence and to create a stable operating environment to enable economic growth.”

David Thomson, the chief executive of Food and Drink Federation Scotland, said: “We need a stable Scottish government to provide the confidence needed for manufacturers to invest in making their businesses more resilient, productive and sustainable.”

Colin Wilkinson, the managing director of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, said: “We urge Mr Yousaf’s successor to pick up on his pledge to work with the business community and implement an urgent reset in the relationship between the Scottish government and businesses.”

Nicola Sturgeon has praised the “grace, dignity and integrity” of Humza Yousaf during his time as first minister.

After he announced his decision to stand down Sturgeon, Yousaf’s predecessor, wrote on Twitter/X: “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.”

Ian Blackford, the former Westminster leader of the Scottish National Party and MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber, told Times Radio that John Swinney “has what it takes” to lead the SNP (Laurence Sleator writes).

Speaking to the BBC, Blackford said: “He certainly is an individual that I believe carries widespread respect in the party across the parliament, and indeed the country.”

He added: “I think, if anyone has the qualities, the capabilities to lead us not just in the short term, but right through the electoral cycle, then John has these characteristics.

“The Scottish parliament works on the basis of minorities, and it’s about how you can reach out, build consensus, get your legislative programme through, that we can rebuild the SNP and drive up support ahead of the Westminster election. John has the skills, the characteristics, the personality to be able to do that.”

Humza Yousaf was elected leader of the SNP without enthusiasm and his departure is not accompanied by any great measure of regret. No one is wasting time lamenting what might have been.

It is undoubtedly true that Yousaf has played his cards ineptly, but they were not good cards to begin with. Though it accelerated on his watch, the SNP’s slide in the opinion polls began in the later months of Nicola Sturgeon’s time in office. Many of the problems that over-matched Yousaf were bequeathed to him by his predecessor.

He has failed, but it is not obvious any of his erstwhile rivals would have succeeded either.

Read Alex Massie’s in-depth analysis in full

John Swinney, the former deputy first minister, said Humza Yousaf was a “pioneer” as the first minister announced his plan to step down (Laurence Sleator writes).

Swinney, who is thought to be a leadership contender, said: “I am terribly sorry that the first minister has decided to step down.

“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.

“I wish Humza, Nadia and their family well in all that lies ahead.”

Alister Jack, the Scotland secretary, said Humza Yousaf made the right decision to resign as Scotland’s first minister (Laurence Sleator writes).

“Humza Yousaf’s leadership has lurched from crisis to crisis from the very start, and he could not command the confidence of the Scottish parliament,” Jack said.

“Scotland now needs a stable, functioning Scottish government focused on the issues that matter most to people — fixing public services and growing the economy.”

Douglas Ross, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, said his party had “delivered on our promise” to be a strong opposition for the SNP. “The next first minister must abandon the nationalist obsession with independence and focus solely on Scotland’s top priorities.”

Ash Regan, the former SNP leadership candidate who quit the party, says she is willing to work with whoever takes over as first minister (Laurence Sleator writes).

The MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, who is the Alba Party’s sole representative in Holyrood, could hold the balance of power with the SNP two votes short of an outright majority.

Speaking after Yousaf’s resignation, Regan said: “The Alba Party were willing to work in the best interests of Scotland to put independence back at the heart of government, protect the rights of women and girls, and to get the government back onto a competent footing.

“However, a new SNP leader and a new first minister will not change parliamentary arithmetic. I continue to stand ready to work in the best interests of Scotland and to advance the cause of Scottish independence.”

The UK government will work with whoever takes office in Scotland to deliver what matters for the people of the country, Rishi Sunak, the prime minister, has said (Laurence Sleator writes).

Asked about Humza Yousaf’s resignation, the prime minister’s official spokesman said: “When the first minister came to office, he and the prime minister talked about wanting to work together to focus on the real issues that matter to people.

“The UK government will work with the new administration to the same end, which is working together to deliver for people in Scotland, whether it’s growing the economy, delivering jobs, enhancing energy security.

“For most people, they don’t want to be distracted by the ins and outs of politics, they want to see their governments working together to deliver on their priorities.”

Scottish Labour has called for fresh elections in Scotland, following the resignation of Humza Yousaf as first minister (Laurence Sleator writes).

Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, said the SNP could not run another administration via a “backroom” deal.

“Scotland faces the biggest challenges since devolution but it now has a dysfunctional, chaotic and divided SNP government,” Sarwar said. “The SNP are a divided party which is out of ideas and incapable of rising to the challenges Scotland faces.

“They cannot impose another unelected first minister on Scotland in a backroom deal — the people of Scotland should decide who leads our country. There must be an election — it’s time for change and Scottish Labour is ready to deliver it.”

Humza Yousaf says he is confident his successor as SNP leader will “lead us over the finish line” to independence, as he became emotional announcing his decision to stand aside (Laurence Sleator writes).

Speaking at Bute House, he outlined what he perceived to be his achievements, including a “fair taxation system”, reducing child poverty and tackling discrimination.

Paying tribute to his wife and children, he became emotional, his voice breaking as he was on the verge of tears.

“As you can tell I’m sad my time as first minister is ending but I’m so grateful, so blessed for having the opportunity afforded to so few to lead my country — and who could ask for a better country to lead than Scotland.”

He addressed fellow MSPs, telling them: “Each and every one of us must resist the temptations of populism at the expense of minorities.”

However, he added: “But let’s also acknowledge that far too often in our country hatred continues to rear its ugly head. In a world where every issue seems to descend into a toxic culture war it often the most marginalised in our society who bear the brunt.”

He said he would continue championing issues and home and abroad — including the events in Gaza — from the backbenches.

And if Humza was the continuity candidate after Sturgeon, Swinney is the continuity, continuity candidate given his proximity to his former boss (John Boothman writes).

Jenny Gilruth, the Scottish education secretary, and Neil Gray, the health secretary, will be happy to play second fiddle to him. As for Stephen Flynn, the SNP Westminster leader, one MSP said Swinney could keep the seat warm for him to have a run next time.

Regarding the SNP’s core issue of independence, despite Humza’s valedictory statement that it is frustratingly close, in reality it could not be further away.

Although support for it is holding up, it is further down the agenda, as voters are more concerned about the cost of living than at any time in the past decade.

And any incoming Labour or Conservative UK government will want nothing to do with independence.

What is clear is that a Kate Forbes bandwagon is rolling, as it did in the bitter SNP leadership contest last time (John Boothman writes).

However, her socially conservative views are anathema to the party establishment, so the SNP’s first port of call is to send for the party veteran John Swinney.

If Swinney stands as SNP leader, Forbes will come under intense pressure not to stand.

Swinney may be popular and respected internally, a safe pair of hands and the best candidate to unite the party. However, if anything, he represents the past, and more of the same.

He is also already yesterday’s man twice over, a failed SNP leader from 2000 to 2004.

Close to tears, Humza Yousaf left the stage after announcing his resignation but he leaves a massive task to whoever is his successor (John Boothman writes).

If the legacy of Sturgeon was difficult, what Yousaf bequeaths is worse.

The dark cloud of a police investigation hangs over the SNP, which is seen as an incompetent governing party which is divided, devoid of great talent and with few ideas.

It is not a job for the faint-hearted. So who will take it on next?

Humza Yousaf will continue as first minister until a new SNP leader has been elected, he has announced (Laurence Sleator writes).

Speaking at Bute House, he said he still believed ending the agreement with the Scottish Green Party was the right decision but he had “clearly underestimated the level of hurt and upset” it would cause.

“While a route through this week’s motion of no confidence is absolutely possible, I am not willing to trade my values and principles or do deals with whoever simply to retain power,” he said. “I have concluded that repairing relationships across the political divide can only be done with someone else at the helm.”

He said he would stay on as first minister until a new SNP leader is elected.

“I cannot tell you what an honour it is be the first minister of the country I love,” Yousaf added. “As a young boy born and raised in Scotland I could never have dreamt I would have had the privilege of leading my country.

“People who looked like me were not in positions of political influence, let alone leading governments, when I was younger.”

Humza Yousaf has resigned as the first minister of Scotland after just 398 days in post (Laurence Sleator writes).

Succeeding Nicola Sturgeon in March last year, the former health minister was the youngest person and the first Scottish Asian and Muslim to hold the office since its creation.

His short but controversial tenure saw him usher in a new hate crime law which critics said amounted to policing free speech.

He also entered office at a time of tumult for the SNP, with senior party officials, including Sturgeon and her husband, under investigation over use of party funds.

His downfall comes just months after he appeared on the front of Time magazine, being called a “trailblazer” and part of the “next generation [of] leaders”.

Humza Yousaf will make a statement shortly, with sources close to the first minister believing he is set to resign (Laurence Sleator writes).

A press conference is due to take place at Bute House, his official residence in Edinburgh, at 12 noon. Yousaf, who has been in post since March last year, was seen entering Bute House via the back entrance.

It comes as Yousaf faces two votes of no confidence: one from the Scottish Conservatives and another from Scottish Labour, which has tabled one for the Scottish government as a whole.

Cabinet ministers including Jenny Gilruth, the education secretary, who was considering running to replace Yousaf, are urging John Swinney to become SNP leader (Kieran Andrews writes).

It is hoped that the former deputy first minister would take the reins until the 2026 Holyrood election.

However, it is not clear that Swinney wants to take on the leadership for a second time despite widely being seen as a unifying candidate.

If Yousaf resigns, the Scottish parliament will have 28 days to elect a new first minister who commands a majority. If MSPs fail to do so, an election will be called (Laurence Sleator writes).

To avoid a poll, the SNP will quickly need to find a candidate — either permanent or a caretaker. As the largest party in the Scottish parliament, holding 63 of 129 seats, they still have the best chance of forming an administration.

If they can persuade other parties to vote with them, or to abstain, they will have the votes to elect a new first minister.

This would be under a minority administration, relying on informal support from other parties, often on a case-by-case basis. The party governed this way from 2007 and then again from 2016.

John Swinney, the former deputy first minister, is the preferred choice to replace Humza Yousaf among SNP MSPs and MPs (Greig Cameron writes).

Speaking at a Resolution Foundation event in London, Swinney said: “We face a difficult day today. I understand the first minister is going to make a statement later today and it is probably best if I let the first minister speak for himself. I’m quite sure more will be said in the rest of today and the rest of the week.”

Asked if he would, hypothetically, like to be first minister, he said: “It is a very demanding role to be the first minister of Scotland. I have been very close to it for many, many years — it takes a lot of thinking about it.

“I will consider what the first minister says later today and reflect on that. I may well have more to say at a later stage during the week.”

Humza Yousaf is to hold a press conference today at 12 noon as the first minister fights for his political future (Laurence Sleator writes).

It comes amid reports he is set to resign, a close friend of the first minister told The Times on Sunday.

Yousaf, who took over as first minister on March 29 last year, is travelling to Bute House in Edinburgh — the official residence of the first minister — from his family home in Dundee.

Senior SNP figures are working on a plan to draft John Swinney, Nicola Sturgeon’s former deputy, in as a unifying replacement for Humza Yousaf. He would lead on a temporary basis, one MSP said, “to get us through the crisis” (John Boothman writes).

Swinney is a hugely respected figure within the party, and was loyal to Sturgeon throughout her tenure as first minister. He was SNP leader from 2000 to 2004 before resigning and being replaced by Alex Salmond.

He left the job as deputy first minister shortly after Sturgeon resigned last year.

Some within the party will see the move as an attempt to deprive the former finance secretary and Highland MSP Kate Forbes of the top job.

If Humza Yousaf does not resign today, he is likely to face two confidence votes this week: one on his position as first minister, the other on the SNP government he leads (Laurence Sleator writes).

Under the first motion, tabled by Douglas Ross, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, he has no legal obligation to resign if he loses — although his position will be severely weakened.

If he and the SNP lose the second vote, however, Yousaf and his ministers will be legally obliged to quit.

Should Yousaf resigns as first minister either before or after the votes, the Scottish parliament will have 28 days to find a successor who can achieve a majority vote of MSPs. Failing that, an election would be called, although this has not yet happened in 25 years of devolution.

Cabinet ministers have been cancelling meetings with lobby groups and charities as speculation intensifies about Humza Yousaf’s future (Kieran Andrews writes).

Meetings scheduled for early this week have been rearranged or scrapped entirely, sources said.
It is another indication that the government is shaping up for the first minister to resign.

Paul O’Kane, the Scottish Labour MSP for the West Scotland region, told the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland: “We’ve been saying across the weekend it’s a matter of when not if” (Joshua Thurston writes).

He added: “The moment of when is perhaps upon us.”

O’Kane said there had been serious failures by the Scottish government. “This has been a story of chaos and the government is clearly … failing the people of Scotland.”

Even if Yousaf were to resign O’Kane said Labour’s motion of no confidence in the Scottish government would remain.

When asked who the next leader of the SNP should be, Patrick Harvie, the co-leader of the Scottish Green Party, said: “We wouldn’t want to be seen to be interfering in an internal party matter” (John Boothman writes).

Pressed on whether the Scottish Greens could support Kate Forbes as leader, given her socially conservative views, Harvie replied: “We do have to be clear about our own values … I think it’s really important, if the SNP want to have a stable minority government, it has to be someone who can reach across, and get a sense of co-operation on a shared set of values.

“We won’t be telling the SNP anything, either privately or publicly, who they should consider,” he added. “That would be deeply inappropriate.”

However, he added that if the SNP were to “lurch to the right”, it would be “difficult for them to reach agreement with us. In that kind of circumstance they would need to rely on the support of other conservatives.”

The Alba Party’s only MSP, Ash Regan, has been back in contact with the first minister (Joshua Thurston writes).

Kenny MacAskill, the Alba Party MP for East Lothian, told the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland that the party’s demands had not changed.

MacAskill said no meeting was in place yet but that it would be an “absurd situation” for Yousaf to resign given there was an “opportunity for the SNP to get back on the independence track” through a deal with Alba.

However, MacAskill, who served as Scotland’s justice secretary before moving to Westminster and defecting to Alba, said that his party would not simply “prop up” the SNP.

Scottish people should have the chance to vote in a Holyrood election because of “chaos” under the SNP, Labour’s deputy national campaign co-ordinator has said.

Ellie Reeves told Sky News: “No one voted for Humza Yousaf and given all of the chaos I think there should be an election up in Scotland, so that people in Scotland can have their say on what’s happening.

“At the moment they are being failed by an SNP government in Holyrood and a Conservative government in Westminster.”

There was a feeling among senior figures in the SNP that a reset was needed to take the party “back to the centre ground of Scottish politics, which doesn’t work with the Greens on our shoulder”.

The catalyst for the first minister’s decision was a combination of pressure from Green Party members questioning the Bute House agreement, and increasingly harsh contributions from senior figures inside his own party to scrap the deal.

Scepticism remains within the business community, though. One source said: “It’s time for the Scottish government to start listening to experts rather than extremists.”

Read in full: Why did the SNP-Green coalition collapse? Humza Yousaf’s decision explained

Humza Yousaf’s resignation as Scotland’s first minister would mark the end of a tumultous 12 months during which his popularity has plummeted and the SNP’s fortunes have nosedived.

If he resigns, at only one year and 30 days his term as the country’s leader will have been the second shortest since the advent of devolution.

Aged 37, Yousaf was Scotland’s youngest first minister and the first Scottish Asian and Muslim to hold the post. He succeeded Nicola Sturgeon, who had been in office for a record nine years.

Read in full: Humza Yousaf: At the mercy of events, he nosedived.

The SNP MSP Michelle Thomson, who was at the heart of the Kate Forbes leadership campaign last time and is a close confidante of the Highland MSP, said that if Humza Yousaf was to step down, the party membership must have a say (John Boothman writes).

“A replacement has to be found, that will be undertaken through the normal channels … the membership must have their say.

“Whoever is elected [must be] democratically elected and must be supported by the entire party,” she said. “That’s the way democracy works, and that’s the way the SNP works.”

She added that she had not spoken to Kate Forbes about whether she would run again. “I will look at all candidates as they present themselves and decide who I think can do the best job of leading Scotland, if it comes to it, but we are not there yet.”

Patrick Harvie, the leader of the Scottish Greens, reiterated calls for Yousaf to stand down (Joshua Thurston and John Boothman write).

“I don’t think Humza Yousaf any more is in a position to be able to lead,” Harvie told Radio 4’s Today programme. “I don’t think there is anything that Humza Yousaf will be able to say to restore the trust he has broken,” he added.

Harvie signalled his regret over the breakdown of the coalition but said the first minister’s position was untenable. He said he did not bear Yousaf any ill will or malice, and “took no pleasure at all, none of us in the Greens do, in the turbulence and chaos over the last week or two”.

He said Green MSPs were ready to work with another SNP leader but not the current one.

“Everybody understands how deeply regrettable and unnecessary this whole situation was,” he said, adding: “I think it is really important that we return to stability.”

A possible ally for Yousaf is Ash Regan, the sole MSP from the Alba Party launched by Alex Salmond in 2021 (Joshua Thurston writes).

The SNP holds 63 Holyrood seats, but if Yousaf could secure the support of Alba’s Regan there would be a 64-64 tie, with the presiding officer likely to vote to maintain the status quo.

Regan, who defected from the SNP last year, said: “I could be holding the vote that decides his future but I will only use it in the way that will be best for Scotland.

“Many would like to see an end to Humza’s chaotic leadership and doubts remain whether he has the political skills required to run a minority government,” she wrote in a column in the Sunday Mail.

“As Humza dithers and the demands for him to go become deafening, the higher my price will be to support him.”

Senior SNP sources have told the BBC there is zero chance of a deal with Alba.

The Scottish National Party’s power-sharing deal with the Scottish Green Party fell apart last week over the SNP’s decision to ditch climate targets (Joshua Thurston writes).

The Green Party accused Yousaf of “selling out future generations” by walking away from the Bute House agreement. The Greens had been set to hold a vote on whether to remain in power with the SNP, after the climate targets were ditched and the prescription of puberty blockers for under-18s was halted.

The Green Party co-leader Patrick Harvie said this would cause distress among young trans people who would not be able to get treatment.

Yousaf said the SNP’s partnership with the Greens was “no longer guaranteeing a stable arrangement in parliament”.

Humza Yousaf has only been in office for 13 months but if, as expected, he quits then the SNP will need to elect a new leader in a process yet to be decided.

Last year, after Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation, the SNP embarked on a truncated selection contest where party members had six weeks to choose the new leader, who then became first minister.

Details of the process this time will have to be worked out and then endorsed by the party’s national executive committee. There is no mechanism in place, so in the meantime it is likely a caretaker will be installed until a new leader can be elected.

Read in full: Who will replace Humza Yousaf as first minister?