2 weeks ago
25
Speculation Scotland’s first minister is to resign before he faces no confidence vote later this week
Good morning. This here is intense speculation that Humza Yousaf, Scotland’s first minister, will resign, perhaps as early as today, ahead of a no confidence vote scheduled for later this week. On Friday, when there were also reports that Yousaf was considering resigning after his decision to collapse the SNP’s power-sharing deal with the Greens backfired, Yousaf gave a series of interviews insisting that he was not quitting and that he was confident of winning the vote. This morning, though, the situation seems to have changed.
Kieran Andrews, the Scottish political editor of the Times, ignited the latest round of Yousaf resignation speculation with a report last night saying:
Senior SNP figures have been told the nationalist leader decided over the weekend that there is no way for him to survive this week’s vote of no confidence and he may stand down on Monday …
A close friend said: “Humza knows what’s best for the country and the party. He is first party activist and a party man, and that’s why he knows it’s time for someone else.
I don’t think Humza Yousaf any more is in a position to be able to lead … I don’t think there is anything that Humza Yousaf will be able to say to restore the trust he has broken.
I’m hearing the same rumours [that the first minister is considering stepping down) and I think we’re all waiting to see what the actual position is.
I guess the rumours suggest that something is afoot, but I honestly can’t clarify because I’ve had no update nor, as I understand, have my MSP group, so I guess we’ll all hear definitively one way or another this morning.
Continue reading...