IN THE LATEST scandal in Scottish politics, First Minister Humza Yousaf has resigned ahead of confidence votes on his leadership.
It follows a trying 13 months in the job that saw him spend more energy reacting to events than achieving the goals he set out to in the beginning.
In his resignation speech, Yousaf admitted that “politics can be a brutal business”.
His election came after Nicola Sturgeon stepped down from the job amid an investigation into alleged embezzlement of funds from the Scottish National Party by her husband.
Against this background of party difficulties, Yousaf sought to put his own stamp on government, with his administration focused on key national “missions”, based on the principles of equality, opportunity and community.
Thanks @HumzaYousaf for the friendship and cooperation during your time as First Minister.
— Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) April 29, 2024
I very much valued your insights and engagement with Ireland, particularly at British Irish Council Summits.
Perhaps ironically, it was his bid to take control, by ending the powersharing deal with the Scottish Greens before his party’s junior partners in office could hold a vote on whether to continue the arrangement, that brought about his downfall.
After he terminated the 2021 Bute House Agreement with immediate effect, despite having previously described it as being “worth its weight in gold”, furious Greens accused Yousaf of “political cowardice” and said they would vote against him in a vote of no confidence.
He had wanted to have a “less formal arrangement” but he acknowledged: “Unfortunately, in ending the Bute House Agreement in the manner I did, I clearly underestimated the level of hurt and upset I caused Green colleagues.”
Scottish Conservatives also tabled a motion of no confidence in him as First Minister.
Meanwhile, Labour leader Anas Sarwar says there “must” be an election now to ensure “stability” in the country, as his party tables a confidence motion in the Scottish Government as a whole.
The vote is expected to take place this week, meaning Yousaf’s resignation has far from settled matters.
My statement on the resignation of Humza Yousaf as First Minister. pic.twitter.com/fAAKqfHMEd
— Anas Sarwar (@AnasSarwar) April 29, 2024
Yousaf has held the second shortest term in the office in Scottish history, just behind Labour’s Henry McLeish, who was in office for one year and 12 days between 2000 and 2001.
Yousaf was the youngest person and the first person from a minority background to hold the post.
He will continue to serve as First Minister in the interim until a suitable replacement is found.
Naturally, there is much speculation about who is going to replace Yousaf.
At the moment, the most obvious candidate seems to be John Swinney.
The deputy first minister to Sturgeon has said he is “actively considering” standing.
He said he has been “somewhat overwhelmed” by the number of party colleagues calling on him to do so.
Certainly Swinney has the benefit of significant experience, having been an MSP since the Scottish Parliament’s inception in 1999, and previously representing his constituency of North Tayside at Westminster in 1997.
Also possibly in the running is Kate Forbes MSP, who narrowly lost to Yousaf in the fiery leadership contest to replace Sturgeon just over a year ago.
As finance secretary under Sturgeon, Forbes has been known to help her government through tough crises, stepping into the role and delivering a budget at short notice after her predecessor, Derek Mackay, resigned in 2020.
A Free Church of Scotland member, Forbes’ first run at the leadership was not smooth sailing as her stance on social issues was at odds with many within her own party, particularly her opposition to gender reform.
A key obstacle in her leadership would be the Scottish Greens, who have previously ruled out working with her over her views so it is unlikely she would command the support to effectively rule.
Neil Gray is another likely contender. He is thought to be the closest ally of Yousaf but may be able to unite Parliament.
He is a former MP and became an MSP in 2021 serving as a culture and international development minister before being promoted to Economy, Fair Work and Energy Secretary around a year later.
Maria McAllan was also tipped for the job, but she announced she was expecting her first child in February of this year, adding she planned to take maternity leave in the summer with a scheduled return for March 2025.
With reporting by the Press Association
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