Scottish government survives confidence vote after Hamza Yousaf quits | Politics News
The Scottish National Party is expected to choose a new leader to replace outgoing First Minister Humza Yousaf.
The Scottish Government has survived a vote of confidence, giving the SNP the opportunity to choose a new leader to replace outgoing First Minister Humza Yousaf.
Joseph’s decision get down The appointment of the First Minister and leader of the Scottish National Party on Monday threw the party into disarray and raised hopes in the UK opposition Labor Party that it can win back Scottish seats to win a national election later this year.
Opinion polls show Labor leading or equal with the SNP in Scotland for the first time in a decade.
Youssef said that he would resign after ending his coalition with the Green Party. It means the SNP is seeking a third leader in just over a year, undermining what once seemed like its iron grip on power in the devolved Scottish government.
While the Green Party made Youssef’s position untenable by withdrawing their confidence from him personally, they voted with the Scottish National Party against Wednesday’s vote of no confidence in the Scottish Government.
The motion of no confidence was rejected by 70 votes to 58.
The defeat of the government would have led to the resignation of all ministers and most likely led to a Scottish election.
With this outcome avoided, Youssef will remain in office until the SNP chooses a new leader. Former Scottish National Party leader John Swinney and Youssef’s old leadership rival Kate Forbes have said they are considering running.
Glasgow-born Yusuf, whose grandparents and father immigrated to Scotland from Pakistan in the 1960s, has been hailed as a brilliant communicator who the SNP hopes can unite the divided SNP.
“I never dreamed that one day I would have the honor of leading my country,” he said during his resignation speech. “People who look like me were not in positions of political influence, let alone leading governments, when I was younger.”
Youssef was the Muslim head of a major political party and Scotland’s youngest elected leader. He took over the party’s leadership in March last year, after the resignation of long-serving leader Nicola Sturgeon, who faced divisions in the party over the best path to Scottish independence and proposed legislation to recognize transgender people.
Police also investigated the SNP’s finances, and Sturgeon’s husband was charged with embezzling funds from the SNP. She was arrested and interrogated but was not charged. Both deny any wrongdoing.
Analysts told Al Jazeera that the SNP is in crisis mode and that Youssef’s resignation was a reflection of the party’s current downward trajectory as a political force.
