Humza Yousaf rumored to resign as SNP’s faith in embattled First Minister’s continuation wanes
A source close to the First Minister shed light on the current crisis
Humza Yousaf is ’set to quit’ TODAY as Scotland’s First Minister after concluding that his position is no longer tenable.
Senior SNP figures are understood to have been told the nats leader decided that he would not be able to win the no confidence vote this week.
It is believed he may announce his resignation later today.
A close friend told the Times: "Humza knows what’s best for the country and the party.
"He is first party activist and a party man, and that’s why he knows it’s time for someone else.”
Senor nationalists figures are believed to have approached former SNP leader John Swinney to become an interim First Minister if Yousaf is forced from office.
A senior party figure added: “There are only a couple of people who can bring calm to choppy waters and bring reassurance to the public, and John is the most obvious person."
It adds that Mr Swinney is reluctant to step up to the top job because of personal circumstances.
Speculation on Yousaf’s future is building as he faces two votes in the coming week for his survival—a non-binding vote from the Tories on him personally.
And a binding vote from Labour that would cause the government to collapse.
It comes after Mr Yousaf was warned striking a deal with Alex Salmond’s Alba Party to save his future as First Minister would be "reputation shredding".
He rejected demands by Alba to sign up to an electoral pact in exchange for the support of ex-Nat Ash Reggan.
The First Minister could be reliant on his former Nats leadership rival Ms Regan — who defected to Alba last October — to survive.
And sources close to Mr Yousaf’s other defeated leadership hopeful Kate Forbes suggested she is “gearing up” for a fresh bid for the top job if he is forced out of office.
Warning against striking a pact with Mr Salmond, senior SNP MP Stewart McDonald referenced the former First Minister’s TV chat show on Russia Today.
He said: “Never a question we could do a deal with Salmond — a former host on RT.
“It would go down like a bucket of cold sick with voters and be met with horror in European capitals.
“To cut a deal with such a figure as Russian bombs thud into Ukraine would be reputation shredding.”
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