Would You like a feature Interview?
All Interviews are 100% FREE of Charge
Humza Yousaf has written to his political rivals, including Alba Party MSP Ash Regan, urging them to find “common ground” as he seeks to drum up support ahead of next week’s tight race to become prime minister.
Scotland’s First Minister has called on leaders of other parties to find “common ground” with the minority government after Holyrood was plunged into crisis earlier this week.
Mr Yousaf, along with key politicians from the Scottish Conservatives, Scottish Labor and the Scottish Greens, is said to have written to Mr Regan as part of the peacekeeping effort.
Mr Regan left the SNP a few months after losing the leadership contest to Mr Yousaf, but is now expected to play a key role in his political future.
Scotland’s First Minister is fighting for her political life after deciding earlier this week to scrap the power-sharing agreement with the Scottish Greens, known as the Butehouse Agreement.
The decision has forced him to cancel a number of public appearances this weekend. But Mr Yousaf said in a defiant statement on Friday that he would “absolutely” lead the SNP into the general election expected later this year and the 2026 Holyrood election.
The decision to sever ties with the Green Party comes after days of anger in the party over the Scottish Government’s admission that it will not meet its key environmental target of cutting carbon emissions by 75 per cent by 2030. Ta.
It is understood Mr Yousaf’s attempt to break up his coalition agreement with the Scottish Greens was aimed at increasing the party’s chances of winning a general election.
But the collapse of the coalition government has plunged Holyrood into crisis, with Mr Yousaf facing two votes of no confidence in himself and the government next week.
talk to sky news On Saturday, Yousaf declined to say whether he would resign if he lost either vote.
He said it was “up to” Alba’s party to decide which “buttons to press”, adding that it “doesn’t intend to lose” the vote of confidence.
Asked if there would be a Scottish general election if he were to lose the referendum on his leadership, Mr Yousaf said: “I cannot rule it out.”
Scottish leaders will meet separately with each party at Bute House in Edinburgh this weekend to discuss how they can “contribute constructively”.
He is expected to win support by making concessions on climate change and promising to create jobs and improve public services.
If all opposition members vote against Yousaf, Yousaf will lose the vote of no confidence in his leadership. Although he is not legally bound, he will be under significant political pressure to resign.
Mr Regan, Alba’s only MSP and former SNP minister, will play a key role in determining Mr Yousaf’s future.
The SNP currently holds 63 of 129 seats, two seats short of an outright majority, meaning Alba Party support is essential.
The Conservatives, Labor, Liberal Democrats and Greens hold 64 seats.
Mr. Regan said his support depended on Mr. Yousaf’s determination to refocus independence and take action to protect the “dignity, safety and rights of women and children.”
The latter is linked to Scotland’s gender debate and is a thorny issue for Mr Yousaf’s government.
Complicating matters, the Scottish leader has previously described Mr Regan’s defection from the SNP to Alba as “not a huge loss”.
Rishi Sunak has called on the Scottish First Minister to find a solution.
The First Minister’s deputy press secretary said on Friday that Mr Sunak had been “clear that his focus, as he has been from his first day in office, must be on tackling the real issues that matter to the people of Scotland and their families”. ” he said.