The embattled First Minister of Scotland has put on a defiant display as opposition parties threaten to bring him down next week in a vote of no confidence Hamza
Humza Yousaf has come out fight for his political life, squashing rumours he’s on the verge of quitting and vowing to battle next week’s confidence motion.
Speaking to reporters this afternoon, the crisis-ridden First Minister vowed: “I’m not quitting”.
He added: “I’ll be fighting that vote of no confidence”.
Mr Yousaf also said he’s “confident” he can win the parliamentary showdown next Thursday, despite the numbers being on a knife-edge.
Amid rumours last night and this morning that he is considering jumping before he’s pushed, Mr Yousaf said: “I intend absolutely to fight that vote of no confidence and I’m getting on with the day job”.
Asked if he’s a “lame duck leader” he said the accusation is a “tired cliche”.
“The reality is that I’m here delivering on the priorities of the people.”
With the SNP’s 63 MSPs, the vote will come down to the wire.
There are a total of 64 MSPs from the Greens, Conservatives, Labor and Liberal Democrats, with Alba leader Ash Regan being given the deciding vote.
This afternoon, Conservative Party leader Douglas Ross said he was not satisfied with simply defending Humza Yousaf and wanted to remove “the entire Scottish Government”.
He told Times Radio: “I want to unseat the entire Scottish Government, which has been primarily focused on independence, but the education system has been hit and local authority funding has been cut to the bone.The SNP, on the other hand, It also “focused on independence as a priority for people across Scotland.”
“But what we have already seen in the reaction to the rejection of Sarwar’s labor motion is that there is no support, particularly among the Greens. They haven’t said the same thing about the motion of no confidence against the Scottish Government as a whole.
I’m going to support this because I want to get rid of the Scottish Government. – Yusaf is on the verge of being fired.
“He has failed as First Minister and has the opportunity to finish his term next week.”
This morning a former ally and supporter of Mr Yousaf told The Times: “Whether it’s today, tomorrow or beyond, he’s finished.”
When asked if he would resign if he lost the confidence vote, an SNP spokesman said they would not answer “hypothetical” questions.
The SNP spokesman also boasted that the failed coalition agreement between the SNP and the Green Party had lasted 19 times longer than Liz Truss’s term in office.
Fortunately for Yousaf, he succeeded former Labor leader Henry MacLeish 15 days ago, meaning he has yet to suffer the stigma of being Scotland’s longest-serving leader.