Humza Yousaf: Political future of Scotland’s first minister hangs in the balance as Greens back no-confidence motion
The Scottish Green Party will join with rival MSPs to back a no-confidence motion in First Minister Humza Yousaf next week, after the SNP kicked its coalition partners out of government.
Mr Yousaf announced his plan to cut ties with the Greens earlier on Thursday, following a bitter row over the SNP’s climbdown on climate targets.
And soon after, the Scottish Conservatives announced it would lodge a vote of no-confidence in him, claiming the first minister had “failed” in his role and had “focused on the wrong priorities for Scotland”.
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Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats agreed to back the motion, with its success hanging on whether Green Party MSPs joined the attack to give SNP critics a majority in Holyrood.
Its co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater have now confirmed their party they will join forces to condemn Mr Yousaf’s leadership, with Green sources telling Sky News there was serious anger among the ousted party.
How Mr Yousaf’s ex-SNP leadership rival could be crucial in vote
In the Scottish parliament, the SNP has 63 seats out of 129, two short of an outright majority.
The Greens have seven, the Conservatives 31, Labour has 22, the Liberal Democrats have four, there is one Alba MSP Ash Regan – an ex-SNP leadership rival of Mr Yousaf’s – and there is also presiding officer Alison Johnstone who is both an MSP and Scotland’s equivalent of the Commons speaker.
If Ms Regan, who was formerly part of the SNP but defected to Alex Salmond’s Alba Party last October, backs Mr Yousaf then that would mean both sides having 64 votes, and Ms Johnstone would be expected to vote in favour of the status quo, so the first minister would survive.
But if Ms Regan votes against Mr Yousaf, then the opposition parties will have 65 votes against the SNP’s 63, and the first minister would lose.
Former SNP leadership candidate Ash Regan defected to the Alba Party last October. Pic: PA
If the no-confidence vote passes, it will still be up to Mr Yousaf to decide on how to respond. However, it puts increasing pressure on his position if he fails to hold the confidence of the majority of the parliament.
However, if a no-confidence vote was passed on the government, the SNP administration would have to resign and appoint a new first minister within 28 days or call an election.
Speaking at a news conference, Mr Harvie said: “Humza Yousaf becoming first minister was on the basis of a political cooperation which both parties members signed in good faith, which Humza Yousaf endorsed, and even two days ago was still endorsing.
“He’s now chosen to end that. That’s his decision and it can’t come without consequences.”
Scottish Green Party co-leaders Lorna Slater and Patrick Harvie were ousted from government on Thursday. Pic: PA
Both he and Ms Slater denied that supporting the no-confidence vote was “revenge”.
Mr Harvie added: “This is about how we achieve the greatest political change for Scotland.
“Humza Yousaf has decided to abandon the vehicle that was delivering that progressive change for Scotland. We think that’s a profound mistake.”
The power-sharing deal between the SNP and the Greens was made in 2021, after Nicola Sturgeon’s party came in just shy of an outright majority in the Holyrood election of the same year.
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Both backers of Scottish independence, the Bute House Agreement between the parties – named after the first minister’s official residence in Edinburgh – brought the Greens into government for the first time anywhere in the UK, with both Ms Slater and Mr Harvie given ministerial posts.
But signs that the agreement was running into difficulty came after the Scottish government scrapped its commitment to cut emissions by 75% by 2030.
The Greens were also dismayed at the pause of puberty blockers in the wake of the landmark Cass review of gender services for under-18s in England and Wales.
The party had been expected to hold a vote on the future of the agreement, but before they got a chance, Mr Yousaf summoned his cabinet and announced on Thursday that the deal had “served its purpose”.
The first minister said he hoped to pursue a “less formal” agreement with his former partners and heralded what he called a “new beginning” for the SNP, saying his decision showed “leadership”.
But with the Greens now ready to join those against the SNP, there is a possibility it could instead prompt an end to his premiership.
UK drivers are “confused” by the country’s electric car transition, ministers are being warned.
Although most drivers are not hostile towards electric vehicles (EVs), many are confused about what changes are coming and when, according to new research from the AA.
In a survey of more than 14,000 AA members, 7% thought the government was banning the sale of used petrol and diesel cars.
Around a third thought manual EVs exist, despite them all being automatic.
More than one in five said they would never buy an EV.
The government’s plan for increasing the number of electric vehicles being driven in the UK focuses heavily on increasing the supply of the vehicles.
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What you can do to reach net zero
In 2024, at least 22% of new cars and 10% of new vans sold by each manufacturer in the UK had to be zero-emission, which generally means pure electric.
Each year, those percentages will rise, reaching 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans in 2030.
Manufacturers will face fines of £15,000 per vehicle if electric vehicle sales fall short of 28% of total production this year.
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By 2035, all new cars and vans will be required to be fully zero emission, according to the Department for Transport.
Second-hand diesel and petrol cars will still be allowed to be sold after this date, and their fuel will still be available.
There are more EVs – but will people buy them?
In February, 25% of new cars were powered purely by battery and in January, they made up 21% of all new cars registered in the UK.
But despite the growth of electric sales, manufacturers continue to warn that the market will not support the growth required to hit government EV targets, and called for consumer incentives and the extension of tax breaks.
The AA suggested the government’s plan focuses on “supply but does little to encourage demand for EVs”.
It called on ministers to co-ordinate a public awareness campaign alongside the motoring industry which directly targets drivers who doubt the viability of EVs.
“Our message to government is more needs to be done to make EVs accessible for everyone,” said Jakob Pfaudler, AA chief executive.
Which? head of consumer rights Sue Davis said: “When it comes to making sustainable choices such as switching to an electric car, our research shows that people are often held back by high costs, complex choices or uncertainty.
“The government needs to provide the right information on electric vehicles and other sustainable choices so that people have the confidence to switch.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We’re investing over £2.3bn to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to EVs.
“This includes installing a public charge point every 28 minutes, keeping EV incentives in the company car tax regime to 2030, and extending 100% first-year allowances for zero-emission cars for another year.
“Second-hand EVs are also becoming cheaper than ever, with one in three available under £20,000 and 21 brand new models available for less than £30,000.
“We’re seeing growing consumer confidence as a result.”
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