A defiant Humza Yousaf has told Sky News he will not resign as Scotland’s first minister.
Pressure has been building on the SNP leader after he tore up the powersharing deal with the Scottish Greens – prompting a no-confidence motion in his leadership and a threatened knife-edge vote.
However, Mr Yousaf, on a visit to Dundee that was arranged at short notice after he pulled out of a speech in Glasgow, insisted he was getting on with the job and accused the opposition of “playing games”.
He told Sky News’ Scotland correspondent Connor Gillies: “I intend absolutely to fight that vote of no confidence, I’ve got every intention of winning that vote of no confidence.
“And let me say to the opposition for minority government to work in the interest of the people of Scotland also requires the opposition to act in good faith.”
“And to the Greens I’ve obviously heard their anger, their upset.
“What I will do is be writing to all the political party leaders, all the party groups represented in the Scottish Parliament including of course Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater asking them to meet with me, to say how do we make minority government work. It’s in the best interests of the people of Scotland that all of us act in good faith and make it work.”
The first minister had announced plans to cut ties with the Greens on Thursday following a bitter row over the administration’s climbdown on climate targets.
Earlier on Friday, Mr Yousaf had cancelled a planned speech at Strathclyde University in Glasgow with hours to spare – with sources insisting the embattled politician would “come out fighting”.
He insisted that he is delivering on the priorities of the people – and plans to write to leaders from all Scottish political parties and seek a meeting on making a minority government work.
Scottish Labour has also lodged a no-confidence motion in the entire devolved government – rather than just Mr Yousaf.
If that passes, it could trigger a parliamentary election in Holyrood.
The country’s Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: “It’s a matter now of when – not if – Humza Yousaf will step down as first minister.
“It would be untenable for the SNP to assume it can impose another unelected first minister on Scotland.”
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Source Agencies
