Yousaf asks rivals to find ‘common ground’ as he fights for political life
Humza Yousaf has written to his political opponents including Alba Party MSP Ash Regan asking them to find “common ground” as he looks to shore up support ahead of crunch votes over his premiership next week.
The Scottish First Minister has asked leaders of other parties to find “common ground” with his minority government after Holyrood was plunged into crisis earlier this week.
Mr Yousaf is understood to have written to Ms Regan as part of peace-keeping attempts, along with key politicians in the Scottish Conservatives, Scottish Labour, and the Scottish Greens.
Ms Regan, who quit the SNP several months after Mr Yousaf defeated her in the contest to become the party’s leader, is now expected to play a crucial role in his political future.
Scotland’s First Minister is fighting for his political life following his decision earlier this week to abandon the power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens, known as the Bute House agreement.
He was forced to cancel a raft of public appearances this weekend following the decision. But in a defiant statement on Friday, Mr Yousaf said he would “absolutely” lead the SNP into the general election, expected later this year, and the 2026 Holyrood election.
The decision to cut ties with the Greens followed days of anger from the party over the Scottish government’s admission it would miss a crucial environmental target to cut carbon emissions by 75 percent by 2030.
Mr Yousaf’s move to tear up the coalition deal with the Scottish Greens is understood to have been a bid to enhance his party’s general election chances.
But the collapse of the coalition has plunged Holyrood into crisis, with Mr Yousaf now facing two potential votes of no confidence next week — one in himself, the other in his government.
Speaking to Sky News on Saturday, Mr Yousaf refused to say whether he would resign if he loses either of the votes.
He said it was “up to” the Alba Party which “button they push”, adding that he was “not planning to lose” any confidence vote.
Asked if there could be a Scottish election if he loses a referendum on his leadership, Mr Yousaf replied: “Can’t rule it out.”
The Scottish leader is expected to hold separate meetings with each political party at Bute House in Edinburgh this weekend to discuss how they can “contribute constructively”.
It is understood that he could offer concessions on tackling climate change and pledges to create jobs and improve public services in a bid to secure support.
Mr Yousaf would lose a vote of no confidence in his leadership if every opposition member voted against him. Though not legally binding, he would be under significant political pressure to resign.
Ms Regan, the Alba Party’s only MSP and a former SNP minister, will play a crucial part in determining Mr Yousaf’s future.
The SNP’s 63 out of 129 seats now gives the party two short of an outright majority, meaning the Alba Party’s support is vital.
The Conservatives, Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens hold 64 seats.
Ms Regan has said any hope of her support would rest on Mr Yousaf’s commitment to a renewed focus on independence, and action to protect “the dignity, safety and rights of women and children”.
The latter relates to the gender debate in Scotland, which has proven a thorny issue for Mr Yousaf’s government.
To complicate matters, the Scottish leader has also previously described Ms Regan’s defection from the SNP to Alba as “no great loss”.
Rishi Sunak has urged the Scottish First Minister to find a resolution.
The Prime Minister’s deputy spokesperson said on Friday that Mr Sunak “is clear just as he was from the first day he took office, that the focus should be on tackling the real issues that matter to people and their families in Scotland”.
