Humza Yousaf announced he is resigning in a tearful statement after failing to drum up enough support to survive a confidence vote.
Follow the latest updates in the Scottish political drama onA battle for the soul of the SNP is under way today after Humza Yousaf dramatically quit.
And the jockeying ramped up almost immediately, with veteran John Swinney - Nicola Sturgeon's longtime deputy - declaring he is 'very carefully considering' whether to stand. The former finance minister's spokesman hit back by asking why Mr Swinney thought a 'woman holding Christian views should be disqualified from holding high office in Scotland'.
Former SNP leader and long-time Nicola Sturgeon ally John Swinney has been touted as next First Minister. But Kate Forbes could yet throw her hat into the ring Defeat would have risked sparking a snap election in Scotland, with the separatists fearing big losses to Labour. The prospect of a Labour government at Westminster also helps, as they become seen as the best option for the strong anti-Tory vote in Scotland.
Mr Yousaf went on: 'After spending the weekend reflecting on what is best for my party, for the government and for the country I lead, I've concluded that repairing our relationship across the political divide can only be done with someone else at the helm. Choking up as he paid tribute to his family's support, Mr Yousaf said: 'I am in absolute debt to my wonderful wife, my beautiful children and my wider family for putting up with me over the years. I'm afraid you will be seeing a lot more of me from now.Mr Swinney, who left the role of deputy first minister when Ms Sturgeon stepped down as first minister last year, said he had been 'somewhat overwhelmed' by messages from colleagues in the SNP urging him to take on the role.
Ms Forbes was previously the Scottish Government's finance secretary, having become the first woman to hold the post in February 2020. Ms Sturgeon's administration was accused of rushing through its controversial gender identity reforms in late 2022, while Ms Forbes remained on maternity leave, in order to prevent a potential revolt by her.
Whoever is chosen to replace Mr Yousaf will be the seventh person to hold the post since the Scottish Parliament was established in 1999 – as well as being the second person in just over a year to have the top job. 'He chose to end a stable majority government and jeopardised the progressive policy programme that both parties had committed to and were working to deliver.
'Scotland now needs a stable, functioning Scottish Government focused on the issues that matter most to people – fixing public services and growing the economy.' Excluding the presiding officer there are 128 MSPs in total, but the SNP only has 63 votes while the other opposition parties have 65. JK Rowling said it was 'karma' that Mr Yousaf ended up reliant on Ms Regan, who defected to Alba in protest at the SNP's gender ID stance
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