Scottish government to face Holyrood vote of no confidence
A motion of no confidence in the Scottish government is due to be debated later on Wednesday.
Scottish Labour is pressing ahead with its motion despite Humza Yousaf announcing earlier this week his intention to stand down as SNP leader and first minister.
If the motion passes, all ministers in the minority SNP government will be forced to quit.
The Scottish parliament will then have 28 days to appoint a new first minister, failing which, a snap election would be called.
Despite having the backing of the Scottish Tories and Liberal Democrats, it is not expected to pass as it does not have the support of the Scottish Greens.
The debate and vote comes following the breakdown of the Bute House Agreement.
Within hours of the powersharing deal with the Scottish Greens coming to an end last week, Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross announced he would be bringing a motion of no confidence in the first minister.
Angry over the way the party was dumped from government, the Scottish Greens announced its MSPs would be backing the motion.
Scottish Labour then announced it was planning a motion of no confidence in the Scottish government.
All eyes were on Alba Party MSP Ash Regan, whose vote could potentially have played a key role in Mr Yousaf’s future.
Humza Yousaf announced he was stepping down on Monday. Pic: PA
Mr Yousaf reached out to his political opponents in an effort to stem the uprising but conceded that he had “underestimated the level of hurt and upset” his actions had caused Scottish Green colleagues.
Announcing his resignation on Monday, he said: “For a minority government to be able to govern effectively and efficiently, trust, when working with the opposition, is clearly fundamental.
“And while a route through this week’s motion of no confidence was absolutely possible, I am not willing to trade my values and principles – or do deals with whomever – simply for retaining power.”
Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross speaking to journalists on Tuesday. Pic: PA
On Tuesday morning, Mr Ross announced his party would no longer press ahead with the motion of no confidence in Mr Yousaf given his resignation.
However, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said his party would press on with its motion as he branded the SNP a “dysfunctional, chaotic, divided political party”.
Mr Sarwar believes the decision on Scotland’s new political leader should be put to the public.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar. Pic: PA
Read more:
Who could replace Humza Yousaf?
What happens now following his resignation
SNP stands at a crossroads – what direction will party take?
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The search is currently on to find a new leader for the SNP and Scotland.
Mr Yousaf intends to remain in post until his successor is announced.
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The SNP is now accepting nominations, which will close at noon on Monday 6 May.
Prospective candidates will have to gain the support of 100 members from 20 different SNP branches to qualify for the contest.
John Swinney at Holyrood on Tuesday. Pic: PA
John Swinney has already said he is giving “very careful consideration” to the prospect of throwing his hat into the ring.
The former deputy first minister, and a close ally of Nicola Sturgeon, has already garnered support from senior figures within his party.
Mr Swinney said he was considering all issues and would have more to say “in the next few days”.
Kate Forbes speaking to reporters at Holyrood on Tuesday. Pic: PA
Former finance secretary Kate Forbes, who narrowly failed to beat Mr Yousaf in last year’s leadership election to replace then first minister Ms Sturgeon, is also considering running.
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Kate Forbes and John Swinney speaking to Sky News
She told Sky News: “I am not ruling myself out. I am still considering all the options, but I also know that there is a lot of support for me across the country and across the party, and last year proved that.
“What’s key now is to think about what the next few months hold, and to ensure that the party is able to move forward, to fight that election and to ensure we have the trust of the people.”
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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