Scotland’s beleaguered first minister Humza Yousaf on the brink

Scotland’s First Minister has written to the leaders of Scotland’s political parties to seek ‘common ground’.

Humza Yousaf is facing to votes of no confidence after terminating the powersharing deal with the Scottish Greens (PA Wire)

Scotland’s embattled first minister Humza Yousaf is facing a challenging week ahead of two confidence votes, amid reports he he is considering resigning before he is pushed.

Mr Yousaf, dubbed ‘Humza Useless’ by his critics, is fighting for his political future after the collapse of a powersharing deal between the SNP and Scottish Greens on Thursday.

With options running out after the collapse of the coalition, splits within the SNP and backlash over newly introduced gender laws, he is now facing an uphill battle to win the confidence votes.

Humza Yousaf’s spokesperson rejected Alex Salmond’s offer as a ‘fantasy’ (REUTERS)

Despite this, he has rejected a lifeline offer from former first minister Alex Salmond who has suggested an electoral pact with the Alba Party, with his spokesperson dismissing it as a “fantasy”.

He is now facing a vote of no confidence tabled by the Scottish Conservatives, while Scottish Labour has tabled one for the Scottish Government as a whole.

Votes on the motions are expected at Holyrood in the coming week. The First Minister has said he will not resign and intends to win the confidence votes.

The SNP leader has written to other parties in an attempt to build bridges and establish how they can work with his minority Government, inviting the other leaders to meetings at his official residence.

Mr Yousaf’s former partners in government, the Scottish Greens, have indicated they will not be changing their minds about supporting the upcoming motion of no confidence in him – saying he must face “consequences”.

Speaking to BBC Scotland’s Sunday Show, Lorna Slater, co-leader of the Scottish Greens, said her party’s position on the confidence motion is unchanged.

Former first minister Mr Salmond has suggested a pact with the Alba Party (Robert Perry/PA) (PA Archive)

She said: “I cannot imagine anything at this point that could change that position. This was a spectacular breach of trust.”

The tight parliamentary arithmetic at the Scottish Parliament, where the SNP have 63 out of 128 voting MSPs, means the support of the Alba Party’s sole MSP Ash Regan may be needed to get Mr Yousaf over the line.

Ms Regan has not yet confirmed how she will vote in the looming motions of no confidence at Holyrood.

The Alba Party’s National Executive Committee held an emergency meeting on Sunday where it approved her proposal to put the party on an election footing in the event that an early poll is required.

Ms Regan set out to the NEC her three priorities in any negotiations with Mr Yousaf, which are independence, women’s rights and the “restoration of competent government”.

The party said she received the unanimous backing of the ruling body to pursue these priorities “in the best interest of Scotland”.

Green Party’s Lorna Slater described it as a ‘spectacular breach of trust’ (Jane Barlow/PA) (PA Wire)

Speaking to Sky’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, Alba Party leader and former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond said: “What Ash Regan will do in the meetings she’s been invited to by Humza Yousaf, the First Minister, is make a set of reasonable proposals to help him out of a very tight corner and put Scotland back on a sensible governmental road.”

Mr Yousaf’s spokesperson has dismissed as “fantasy” the idea the First Minister would agree an electoral pact with the Alba Party to gain its support ahead of the no-confidence votes.

The First Minister has written to the leaders of Scotland’s political parties to seek “common ground”.

He hopes to hold separate meetings with each group at Bute House in Edinburgh to discuss how they can “contribute constructively” while acknowledging there are “strong feelings” about the upcoming confidence votes.

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said it was a “humiliating and embarrassing letter”.

On Sunday, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton rejected the offer of talks, telling Mr Yousaf: “Your actions this past week have eroded entirely any remaining trust that you enjoyed across the chamber.

“They suggest that rather than being motivated by the national interest, you are presently motivated only by your own self-interest and by political survival.”

A Scottish Labour spokeswoman said: “We will respond to this letter in due course.

“However, it is clear that Humza Yousaf has lost the confidence of Parliament and the public. There is nothing he can do to change Scottish Labour, or the public’s, mind about that.”