Edinburgh: Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf has resigned from his position after the collapse of his coalition government, a humbling and chaotic departure that throws Scotland’s ruling pro-independence party into chaos.
Yousaf’s coalition government fell apart unexpectedly last week when he tore up a coalition agreement with Green Party lawmakers, a risky move that backfired spectacularly when the Greens said they would vote against him in a confidence motion.
Media reports earlier claimed that he was set to submit his resignation as legislators decided to move forward to dethrone the 39-year-old.
During the resignation speech, he paid an emotional tribute to his family saying: “I am in absolute debt to my wonderful wife, my beautiful children and my wider family for putting up with me over the years.”
He also joked: “I’m afraid you’ll be seeing a lot more of me from now, You are truly everything to me.”
The SNP chief said he had “underestimated the level of hurt after ending a power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens last week, however, he said would be holding the position until a replacement is found.
He urged other parties to act in “good faith” and not just “oppose for opposition’s sake”, which according to him is vital for having a functioning government under Scotland’s political system.
Yousaf wished MSPs from other parties well and acknowledged that politics is a “brutal business” which takes a toll on people from all sides of Scotland's divides. He also called SNP a “family”, adding “I will always be with you, campaign alongside you.”