Majority lost

Scottish head of government Yousaf resigns

Scotland's head of government Humza Yousaf resigns.

(Bild: AFP)

The Scottish head of government Humza Yousaf has announced his resignation. He intends to remain in office until a successor is found, the leader of the SNP independence party said in Edinburgh on Monday. The opposition has announced a vote of no confidence in the "First Minister" himself and his government. The Greens called on Yousaf to resign, while the Labor Party called for new elections.

On Thursday, Yousaf broke off cooperation with the Greens, who also support independence from Great Britain and hold two cabinet posts. One of the reasons for this was a dispute over the watering down of the Scottish climate targets. Yousaf leads a minority government.

New elections possible
John Swinney, who served as deputy under Yousaf's predecessor Nicola Sturgeon, could lead the government on an interim basis, wrote the Times. If parliament does not vote for a new head of government within 28 days, there will be an early election.

Yousaf took office at the end of March 2023 following Sturgeon's resignation. He served as Minister of Health under the long-standing head of government and was considered her confidant. Since he took office, however, the SNP independence party has suffered several setbacks.

A liberal gender law, which was also controversial within the SNP, was vetoed by the British central government. There is also a financial scandal. Sturgeon's husband Peter Murrell, who as SNP General Secretary was responsible for party finances, was recently charged with embezzlement.