Why did Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf resign?
What was the Bute House power sharing agreement? Why did the agreement collapse?
SThe story so far: cottish National Party (SNP) leader John Swinney was sworn in as the First Minister of Scotland, following Humza Yousaf’s resignation from the post as well as from SNP’s leadership in April. Mr. Yousaf had ended SNP’s Bute House power-sharing agreement with the Scottish Greens, following his party’s decision to scrap climate targets.
What are the SNP’s troubles?
The SNP has been in turmoil since 2021 over complaints related to its nances. The police had in July 2021 launched Operation Branchform to investigate the complaints. Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stepped down from the post in February 2023, and was arrested and released without charges in June 2023 with respect to the police probe into the governing SNP’s nances. Peter Murell, Ms. Sturgeon’s husband and former SNP chief executive, was also arrested in April 2024 and charged over embezzlement of party funds.
What was the power sharing agreement?
Bute House is the name of the o§cial residence of the Scottish First Minister. The Bute House power sharing agreement, o§cially called the Cooperation Agreement, between the Scottish Government and the Scottish Green Party Parliamentary Group, was signed in August 2021. The agreement aimed to “provide eective and responsible leadership for Scotland for this session of the Scottish Parliament.” An important part of the agreement was to address the climate crises.
What led to Mr. Yousaf ’s resignation?
On April 18, Scotland’s Net Zero Minister Màiri McAllan conrmed in the country’s Parliament that the government has scrapped its immediate climate action targets. The Scottish government’s interim 2030 target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 75% (relative to 1990 levels) was out of reach, Ms. McAllan said. “We must now act to chart a course to 2045 at a pace and scale which was feasible, fair and just,” she added.
The 2023 Report of the Climate Change Committee (CCC), which advises the U.K. and devolved governments on emissions targets and climate change adaptation, said that the Scottish government is “failing to achieve Scotland’s ambitious climate goals.” The report, published on March 20, 2024, pointed out that Scotland missed its annual legal emissions target in 2021— the eighth target missed in the past 12 years. In her statement to the Scottish Parliament, Ms. McAllan said that the government would expedite legislation to address the matters raised by the CCC and the Bill would retain the legal commitment set for 2045 alongside annual reporting on progress. Scotland’s goal to reach net zero by 2045 remains steadfast, Ms. McAllan added.
Additionally, Scotland’s National Health
Service on April 18 also paused prescribing puberty blockers to children referred by its specialist gender clinic, following which the LGBTQ wing of the Scottish Greens launched a petition questioning the future of the party’s agreement with the SNP.
Following SNP’s decision to scrap the 2030 climate target, the party’s Bute House power sharing agreement ended on April 25. “This is an act of political cowardice by the SNP, who are selling out future generations to appease the most reactionary forces in the country,” the Scottish Greens party said in a statement following the collapse of the agreement.
After the agreement ended, the SNP became a minority government in need of support from other members of the Scottish Parliament. The SNP government survived a no-condence vote on May 1, after which Mr. Swinney won the required support of the majority in the Scottish Parliament to be First Minister.
What lies ahead for Scottish Greens?
Addressing the Parliament after the vote to nominate Mr. Swinney, Greens leader Ms. Slater said that the party’s support to the SNP First Minister has always been conditional, based on policies that tackle climate crisis. “I am proud of what the Scottish Greens achieved during our time in government...We will continue to advocate for the fairer, greener, more equal Scotland that they [our achievements and policies] create,” she said.