Douglas Ross says that Humza Yousaf ‘knows he’s finished’
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Humza Yousaf has vowed to fight two no confidence motions submitted by the Conservative and Labour parties at Holyrood that could spell the end of the road for the First Minister.
Speaking in Dundee today, Mr Yousaf told STV News that “I absolutely intend to fight that vote of no-confidence” as he also denied multiple reports that he was considering his position.
On Thursday morning, Mr Yousaf booted the Greens out of the Bute House Power sharing agreement and then that afternoon Highland MSP and Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross tabled a vote of no confidence in him.
The vote is likely to be held next week with Alba MSP and former SNP member as well as leadership candidate Ash Regan holding the decisive vote after the Greens made clear they would vote against him – they later left the door open for talks.
Today, Mr Yousaf was asked why he was fighting on and not thinking about resigning, he said: “Because the people of Scotland elected the SNP as the largest party in the Scottish Parliament so all this political game-playing the opposition are doing, I’m going to leave it to them.
“I’m out here [Dundee] announcing £80 million for affordable housing. That’s the priorities of the people that I’m focusing on. But no I won’t be resigning, we’ll be fighting that vote of no-confidence and I think we’ll win.”
Within minutes Mr Ross was again on the attack describing Mr Yousaf as “lame duck First Minister” and arguing that his “government is in meltdown and, despite his bluster, he knows he’s finished.
“This was a desperate and humiliating attempt by a lame duck First Minister to save his job,” Mr Ross said. “Humza Yousaf has failed Scotland, his government is in meltdown and, despite his bluster, he knows he’s finished.
“That’s why we got his emergency announcement of more money for affordable housing, months after an SNP budget containing a brutal £196 million cut to it.
“He has the cheek to claim he now seeks compromise with opposition parties when he and the SNP have divided Scotland at every turn. The only letter I want to see from Humza Yousaf is one announcing his resignation.
“His obsession with independence has left our economy and public services worse off.
He added: “The Scottish Conservative Vote of No Confidence in Humza Yousaf will go ahead, and my party is urging every MSP disillusioned with his dismal leadership to back it.”
The Labour leader Anas Sarwar sought an even more dramatic solution – removing the SNP from government altogether with a vote of no confidence – this time in the government as a whole.
Mr Sarwar said: “It’s a matter now of when – not if – Humza Yousaf will step down as First Minister. It would be untenable for the SNP to assume it can impose another unelected First Minister on Scotland.
“Scottish Labour has no confidence in Humza Yousaf or this SNP Government – that is why we are laying a motion today to this effect to say that the parliament has no confidence in the Scottish Government.”
He added: “The people of Scotland deserve a fresh start – this can only come with a Scottish election.”
Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves also called for “fresh” Scottish Parliament elections while others in the party like MSP said there have been too many consistent SNP “failings.”
Mrs Grant said: “The complete failure to dual the A9 and A96 is longstanding – decades of delay and excuses. The Greens did nothing to help during their time in power, but the failure was there long before they joined.
“The A9 and A96 should have been close to finished by the time the Bute House Agreement signed. There is no guarantee it will progress any faster without them but what is important is that there can be no further delay or slippage to the road programme.
“It is hard to see how he can remain as First Minister. Even if he somehow scrapes through the votes of no confidence next week, this will not be a stirring endorsement. I can’t see a way forward for him where he has the confidence of his party, the Parliament and more importantly the Scottish public.”
She added: “The failures under his leadership are extensive and pervasive.”
