Scotland's Humza Yousaf resigns as country's leader

AFP

Scotland's leader Humza Yousaf resigned on Monday, further opening the door to the UK opposition Labour Party to regain ground in its former Scottish heartlands in a national election expected later this year.

Yousaf quit as head of the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) after a week of chaos triggered by his scrapping of a coalition agreement with Scotland's Greens.

He then failed to secure enough support to survive votes of no confidence against him expected later this week.

Resigning little over a year after he replaced Nicola Sturgeon as first minister and SNP leader, Yousaf said it was time for someone else to lead Scotland's devolved government.

The SNP's fortunes have faltered over a funding scandal and the resignation of Sturgeon as party leader last year. There has also been infighting over how progressive its pitch should be as it seeks to woo back voters.

Caught between defending the progressive record of the coalition government and some nationalists' demands to jettison gender recognition reforms and refocus on the economy, Yousaf was unable to strike a balance that would ensure his survival.

The SNP is losing popular support after 17 years of heading the Scottish government. Earlier this month, polling firm YouGov said the Labour Party had overtaken the SNP in voting intentions for a Westminster election for the first time in a decade.

Labour's resurgence in Scotland adds to the challenge facing British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party which is lagging far behind Labour in UK-wide opinion polls.

The Scottish parliament now has 28 days to choose a new first minister before an election is forced, with former SNP leader John Swinney and Yousaf's former leadership rival Kate Forbes seen as possible successors.

If the SNP is unable to find a new leader to command support in parliament, a Scottish election will be held

More from International News

  • Iranian President Raisi killed in helicopter accident, state media says

    Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, seen as a potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a helicopter crash in mountainous terrain near the Azerbaijan border, officials and state media said on Monday.

  • ICC prosecutor seeks arrest warrants for Israeli, Hamas leaders

    The International Criminal Court prosecutor's office said on Monday it had requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his defence chief and three Hamas leaders for alleged war crimes.

  • Assange given permission to appeal against US extradition

    WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was given permission to have a full appeal over his extradition to the United States after arguing at London's High Court on Monday he might not be able to rely on his right to free speech at a trial.

  • Israel intends to broaden Rafah sweep, Defence Minister tells US

    Israel intends to broaden its military operation in Rafah, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday told a senior aide to US President Joe Biden, who has warned against major action in the southern Gazan city that may risk mass civilian casualties. Israel describes Rafah, which abuts the Gaza Strip's border with the Egyptian Sinai, as the last stronghold of Hamas Islamists whose governing and combat capabilities it has been trying to dismantle during the more than seven-month-old war. After weeks of public disagreements with Washington over the Rafah planning, Israel on May 6 ordered Pale

  • New Taiwanese president calls on China to stop threats

    Taiwan President Lai Ching-te asked China on Monday to stop its military and political threats, saying in his inauguration speech that peace is the only choice and that Beijing had to respect the choice of the Taiwanese people.

On Virgin Radio today

Trending on Virgin Radio

  • Pick the Hits

    We have money can't buy passes to premiere of Bad Boys: Ride Or Die and see Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in person at the event! Just Pick The Hits!

  • ARN News Centre

    Get the latest UAE and world news from our award winning team of journalists. The ARN News Centre is the country's most trusted source of information.

  • Middle East Hot 30

    Every weekend Kris Fade plays the biggest tracks in the Middle East. Check out this weeks chart...

  • Untold Dubai

    It arrived: The UAE's First Mega Music Festival at Expo City Dubai!