Ash Regan: Humza Yousaf’s defeated leadership rival could hold the key to his political fate

Published

3 weeks ago

April 26, 2024

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This has become a political bloodbath for Humza Yousaf.

He began the day under pressure to stamp his authority at the looming prospect of the SNP’s government partners, the Greens, walking away in a row over ditched climate targets and growing scepticism of the Cass report on gender identity services for children.

The SNP leader and Scotland’s first minister wanted to reset the narrative, to show he is in control. He hauled Green ministers in for an 8am appointment, which I understand was very tense. They were sacked on the spot.

In a hastily-arranged news conference, Mr Yousaf told me I was wrong to suggest he is not really pulling the strings. Let’s remember he had hailed the SNP-Green alliance as “worth its weight in gold” fewer than 48 hours earlier.

Whatever his early morning intentions, it is not unreasonable to suggest it has spectacularly backfired.

His SNP premiership is in peril, with the newly-ousted Greens promising to back the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats in a vote of no confidence next week.

One Green source told me: “We’re going to f*** them for this.”

It is mind-blowing that this is a party which was partly running the country fewer than 24 hours ago.

If we cast our minds back to the bitter SNP leadership campaign last year, the loser Ash Regan quit the party months later and defected to Alex Salmond’s Alba Party.

She has sat on the fringes of Holyrood ever since, ignored by her former colleagues.

There was talk of her even being moved to a cupboard-style office. Some within the SNP completely washed their hands of her and almost brushed her off as a joke.

The irony is that Ms Regan is now likely to have the casting vote, given the SNP is now a minority administration and the rest of the opposition have confirmed they are plotting to oust the beleaguered first minister.

Ms Regan finds herself as possibly the most powerful woman in Scotland.

Alba insiders have told me her demands could include the Scottish government ditching the controversial gender recognition reforms completely.

The prospect of Mr Yousaf possibly looking at bowing to a party with one Holyrood politician is embarrassing at best and a full-scale humiliation at worst. But will it happen?

The SNP has its fair share of troubles, given the current police probe examining its finances, but Thursday’s developments take everything to a whole new level.

Critics suggest it calls into question the entire strategy in the government engine room and leaves the leadership drowning in chaos.

Is a Holyrood election on the cards? We could find out next week.

Politics

Tornado Cash verdict has chilling implications for crypto industry

Published

1 hour ago

May 19, 2024

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Tornado Cash verdict has chilling implications for crypto industry

The conviction of Tornado Cash developer Alexey Pertsev reinforces a very broad interpretation of criminal liability, which has major repercussions for blockchain.

Politics

Grant Shapps ‘angry inside’ over infected blood scandal ahead of inquiry report

Published

4 hours ago

May 19, 2024

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Grant Shapps 'angry inside' over infected blood scandal ahead of inquiry report

The defence secretary has said he is “angry inside” over the infected blood scandal ahead of a long-waited report into the decades-long injustice.

Grant Shapps told Sky News he agreed it had been one of the most “shameful failures” of government and said he was dismayed by the “lack of anybody taking responsibility”.

The findings of a public inquiry into the scandal, chaired by Sir Brian Langstaff, are due to be published on Monday.

From 1970 to the 1990s, tens of thousands of people were infected with contaminated blood through blood products or blood transfusions given via the NHS. People were infected with hepatitis or HIV – in some cases with both.

An estimated 3,000 people died as a result.

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Mr Shapps told Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips that the scandal was a “massive injustice which needs to be put right” and said the government would act on the report.

He said that while he was yet to see the report, he hoped it would finally allow families’ pain and loss to be acknowledged and for the government to properly respond.

Mr Shapps said he had spoken to relatives of several victims, including a couple who had lost their son, and said their stories made feel him “angry inside”.

He added: “It just made me angry to know they had lost their son without anyone ever taking responsibility, so I think this is why this report tomorrow is very important.”

Successive governments have been blamed for failing to take responsibility and the current government has been accused of trying to delay compensation to victims after an inquiry was first set up by Theresa May in 2017.

It is estimated that the compensation bill could now exceed £10m.

The defence secretary admitted the process of delivering payouts to victims had gone on for “so long”.

He added: “This is a massive injustice which needs to be put right.

“And I know the government said we will. The report tomorrow, I think, will be the day for that family and others and I know the government will want to respond quickly.”

Asked whether Prime Minister Rishi Sunak would apologise to the victims, Mr Shapps said: “I don’t want to mislead because I don’t have special insight into that.”

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Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting also told Trevor Phillips that he expected “successive governments” to be criticised in the report by Sir Brian.

“Everyone has got their responsibility to bear in this appalling scandal and we have got a shared responsibility to put it right,” he said.

“The moment to act can’t come soon enough.”

Sir Brian is due to deliver his final report just after midday on Monday.