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| Humza Yousaf quits as Scotland's first minister | Humza Yousaf quits as Scotland's first minister |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Mr Yousaf announced his resignation just 13 months after being appointed as first minister | Mr Yousaf announced his resignation just 13 months after being appointed as first minister |
| Humza Yousaf is to stand down Scotland's first minister once a successor is found. | Humza Yousaf is to stand down Scotland's first minister once a successor is found. |
| He said he had made the decision after spending the weekend reflecting on what was best for the SNP, the government and the country. | He said he had made the decision after spending the weekend reflecting on what was best for the SNP, the government and the country. |
| Mr Yousaf said he had concluded that someone else would need to take over in order to "repair our relationship across the political divide". | Mr Yousaf said he had concluded that someone else would need to take over in order to "repair our relationship across the political divide". |
| It follows the collapse of the SNP's power-sharing deal with the Greens. | It follows the collapse of the SNP's power-sharing deal with the Greens. |
| Mr Yousaf's decision to end the agreement angered the Greens and left him struggling to secure enough support in order to lead a a minority government. | Mr Yousaf's decision to end the agreement angered the Greens and left him struggling to secure enough support in order to lead a a minority government. |
| He had been facing two votes of no confidence later this week that he was not certain to win, with the Greens saying they would vote to remove him as first minister. | He had been facing two votes of no confidence later this week that he was not certain to win, with the Greens saying they would vote to remove him as first minister. |
| Speaking at his official Bute House residence in Edinburgh, Mr Yousaf admitted that he had "clearly underestimated" the hurt he had caused the Greens by ending the agreement in the manner that he did. | Speaking at his official Bute House residence in Edinburgh, Mr Yousaf admitted that he had "clearly underestimated" the hurt he had caused the Greens by ending the agreement in the manner that he did. |
| Humza Yousaf announces his resignation | Humza Yousaf announces his resignation |
| Yousaf's decision follows SNP political timebombs | |
| Who is Humza Yousaf? The rise and fall of Scotland's first minister | Who is Humza Yousaf? The rise and fall of Scotland's first minister |
| He said: "After spending the weekend reflecting on what is best for my party, for the government and for the country I lead, I've concluded that repairing our relationship across the political divide can only be done with someone else at the helm. | He said: "After spending the weekend reflecting on what is best for my party, for the government and for the country I lead, I've concluded that repairing our relationship across the political divide can only be done with someone else at the helm. |
| "I have therefore informed the SNP's national secretary of my intention to stand down as party leader." | "I have therefore informed the SNP's national secretary of my intention to stand down as party leader." |
| His resignation comes just 13 months after Mr Yousaf won the contest to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as first minister and SNP leader after narrowly defeating Kate Forbes in what had been a fractious leadership race. | |
| He became the first ethnic minority leader of a devolved government in the UK and the first Muslim to lead a major UK party. | |
| Within days of Mr Yousaf's appointment, Ms Sturgeon's home was searched by police and her husband Peter Murrell - the SNP's chief executive at the time - arrested as part of an ongoing investigation into the SNP's funding and finances. | |
| Ms Sturgeon was also later arrested but has not been charged with any offences. Mr Murrell has been charged with embezzlement. | |
| It is not clear who is likely to replace Mr Yousaf - but they will be the seventh person to hold the post of first minister since the Scottish Parliament was established in 1999. | |
| Mr Yousaf became visibly emotional as he paid tribute to his wife and children in his resignation speech. | |
| He added: "I cannot tell you what an honour it is being the first minister of the country I love, the country I am raising my family in and the only country I will ever call home." | |
| He added: "As a young boy born and raised in Scotland, I could never have dreamt that one day I would have the privilege of leading my country. | |
| "People that looked like me were not in positions of political influence let alone leading governments when I was younger. | "People that looked like me were not in positions of political influence let alone leading governments when I was younger. |
| "We now live in a UK that has a British Hindu PM, a Muslim mayor of London, a black Welsh First Minister and, for a little while longer, a Scots Asian first minister of Scotland." | "We now live in a UK that has a British Hindu PM, a Muslim mayor of London, a black Welsh First Minister and, for a little while longer, a Scots Asian first minister of Scotland." |
| Scottish Greens co-leaders Lorna Slater and Patrick Harvie were furious after Mr Humza ended the agreement that saw them given ministerial jobs in return for their support | Scottish Greens co-leaders Lorna Slater and Patrick Harvie were furious after Mr Humza ended the agreement that saw them given ministerial jobs in return for their support |
| Opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament had tabled two confidence votes - one in the first minister and another in the SNP government as as whole. | Opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament had tabled two confidence votes - one in the first minister and another in the SNP government as as whole. |
| Mr Yousaf had written to the other party leaders asking them to find "common ground" ahead of the votes, but was facing a battle to save his political future with his government no longer having a majority of seats in parliament. | |
| Winning the vote could have meant reaching an agreement with Ash Regan - a former SNP MSP who defected to Alex Salmond's Alba Party after finishing third in the SNP leadership contest. | |
| Mr Yousaf had reportedly ruled out having the SNP cut a deal with Alba, despite both parties supporting independence, ahead of his decision to quit. | |
| As he announced his resignation, he said he was "not willing to trade in my values or principles or do deals with whomever simply for retaining power." | |
| Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said Mr Yousaf was right to stand down, and accused him of breaking the "bonds of trust" with the Greens and "with everyone who wanted a stable, progressive, pro-independence government". Mr Harvie added: "It is regrettable that it has ended this way, it didn't need to. We draw no satisfaction or pleasure from this." | |
| Scottish Labour has previously said its motion of no confidence in the Scottish government would remain tabled even if Mr Yousaf resigns. | Scottish Labour has previously said its motion of no confidence in the Scottish government would remain tabled even if Mr Yousaf resigns. |
| Its leader, Anas Sarwar, said Scotland was facing the biggest challenges since devolution but but was being government by a "dysfunctional, chaotic and divided" SNP government. | Its leader, Anas Sarwar, said Scotland was facing the biggest challenges since devolution but but was being government by a "dysfunctional, chaotic and divided" SNP government. |
| He added: "They cannot impose another unelected first minister on Scotland in a backroom deal - the people of Scotland should decide who leads our country. | He added: "They cannot impose another unelected first minister on Scotland in a backroom deal - the people of Scotland should decide who leads our country. |
| "There must be an election - it's time for change." | "There must be an election - it's time for change." |
| The UK government's Scottish secretary, Alister Jack, said Mr Yousaf's resignation was the right thing for him to do, adding: "Humza Yousaf's leadership has lurched from crisis to crisis from the very start, and he could not command the confidence of the Scottish Parliament. | The UK government's Scottish secretary, Alister Jack, said Mr Yousaf's resignation was the right thing for him to do, adding: "Humza Yousaf's leadership has lurched from crisis to crisis from the very start, and he could not command the confidence of the Scottish Parliament. |
| "Scotland now needs a stable, functioning Scottish government focused on the issues that matter most to people - fixing public services and growing the economy." | "Scotland now needs a stable, functioning Scottish government focused on the issues that matter most to people - fixing public services and growing the economy." |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Scottish government | Scottish government |
| Scotland | Scotland |
| SNP (Scottish National Party) | SNP (Scottish National Party) |
| Humza Yousaf | Humza Yousaf |