Scottish Prime Minister Humza Yousaf announced his resignation on Monday during a press conference. A few days after the end of the government coalition between his SNP party and environmentalists, he was threatened with a vote of no confidence.
Overcoming the current political divisions “can only be done by someone else at the helm,” he said, adding that he would remain in office until his successor was named.
The first Muslim leader of a major British party
The Scottish Parliament has 28 days to find a new Prime Minister. In the British political system, the Scottish Government has jurisdiction over many areas such as education, health, justice and the environment, while the British Government, based in London, mainly retains defense and political powers.
Humza Yousaf, 39, was elected SNP leader in March 2023 following the surprise resignation of the charismatic Nicola Sturgeon. The first Muslim leader to lead a major British party embodied continuity with his predecessor, of whom he was one of the closest allies, and continued the fight for Scottish independence.
A coalition that fell apart
But he announced last Thursday that he was ending the governing coalition between the SNP and the Scottish Greens, notably amid disagreements over environmental policy.
The SNP, the Scottish National Party, has largely dominated the local parliament in Edinburgh since 2007 – with 63 seats out of 129 – but is in power from 2021 thanks to its alliance with the Greens.
After the end of the coalition, the Conservative and Labor oppositions each presented a motion of no confidence in Humz Júsaf, which was scheduled to be voted on this week. And the Greens have announced that they intend to vote against the Prime Minister.