Humza Yousaf has stepped down as Scottish first minister after ending after the collapse of his power-sharing government with the country's Green Party. Yousaf resigned after becoming the first Muslim head of government of any Western democracy when he assumed the posts of first minister and leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) in March 2023.

Edinburgh

Humza Yousaf has resigned as Scotland's First Minister following the dissolution of his power-sharing government with the Green Party. This development comes after Yousaf held the title as the first Muslim head of government in any Western democracy, having assumed the role of First Minister and leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) in March 2023.

In a statement, Yousaf conveyed his intention to step down and instructed the SNP's National Secretary to initiate a leadership contest for his succession. His resignation was influenced by the fallout from his decision to end the collaboration with the Scottish Green Party, an act that he admits underestimated the upset it caused among his Green colleagues. Yousaf's tenure, lasting just over a year, was characterized by efforts to present Scotland as an inclusive, ethnically diverse nation. He brought to his leadership the legacy of being the grandson of a Punjabi immigrant, exemplifying an immigrant success story.

However, Yousaf's time in office was not without its challenges, including financial scandals afflicting the SNP, with former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and her husband, the former chief executive of the SNP, both arrested on suspicion of financial misconduct. Amid these controversies, Yousaf's leadership was seen as a continuation of Sturgeon's administration. Yet, his governance was critiqued for prioritizing issues like the gender recognition reform bill and a hate crime act, perceived by some as detrimental to free speech, over the push for Scottish independence.

The final strain on Yousaf's leadership emerged from his dealings with the Green Party, particularly his decision to abandon pivotal climate goals, leading to a threat from the Greens to end their support for the power-sharing agreement. His preemptive move to dismiss Green Party members from government signaled the end of their collaboration and significantly impacted his position, culminating in his resignation and marking a period of political instability for the SNP.



Humza Yousaf quits as Scotland's first minister

The writing was on the wall and it was only a matter of time before Humza Yousaf confirmed what colleagues and political opponents had hinted at. I have therefore informed the SNP's National Secretary of my intention to stand down as party leader and ask that she commence a leadership contest for my replacement as soon as possible. A decision announced with a tone of regret after he ended the power sharing deal with a Scottish Green Party last week. I clearly underestimated the level of hurt and upset that caused Green colleagues. For a minority government to be able to govern effectively and efficiently, trust when working with the opposition is clearly fundamental. He'd been in the job for little more than a year. When he won the leadership contest, he seemed to represent Scotland as an inclusive, ethnically diverse nation. The grandson of a Punjabi immigrant who worked at a sewing machine factory, his family embodied an immigrant success story. But Yousaf's time in office was marked by turbulence against a backdrop of financial scandals that continue to trouble the Scottish National Party. At the centre of that, former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and her husband, the former chief executive of the SNP, both arrested on suspicion of financial wrongdoing. After Sturgeon's resignation, Yousaf emerged as the frontrunner, assuming the role as the continuity candidate. That soon became a burden rather than a bonus. He inherited a governing agreement with the Green Party, but for many supporters, independence seemed to take a back seat to other policies, such as the controversial gender recognition reform bill and a hate crime act that critics said curbed free speech. A decision to abandon key climate targets earlier this month prompted the Greens to threaten to pull the plug on power sharing. Yousaf's decision to pre-emptively take on his Green Party colleagues by effectively sacking them from government was a move that cost him support, and showed how isolated he had become as he struggled to reverse the SNP's declining fortunes.

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