Scotland’s first minister, Humza Yousaf, resigned on Monday, triggering a leadership contest as the governing Scottish National Party seeks to heal internal divisions and strengthen its position ahead of U.K.-wide parliamentary elections expected later this year.
Yousaf, whose pro-independence party has been weakened by a campaign finance scandal and divisions over transgender rights, was brought down by his decision to oust the Green Party from his governing coalition because of differences over climate change goals. He was unable to persuade other parties to back his minority government in Scotland's regional parliament.
With no prospect of victory in two confidence votes that had been scheduled for later this week, Yousaf quit rather than be forced out. He will remain first minister while the SNP tries to choose a successor who can command a majority in parliament.
"I’ve concluded that repairing our relationship across the political divide can only be done with someone else at the helm,'' Yousaf told reporters in Edinburgh, Scotland's capital.
The debacle adds to the fevered political climate in the United Kingdom, with the country preparing for parliamentary elections at a time when concerns about immigration, health care and government spending have undermined support for the governing Conservative Party.
The Conservatives and the opposition Labour Party had proposed separate no-confidence motions in Yousaf and his government amid efforts to weaken the SNP going into the general election. The SNP has been the dominant party in Scottish politics for almost two decades and currently holds 43 of Scotland's 59 seats in the U.K. Parliament. Labour is likely to be the biggest beneficiary of the problems in the SNP because both parties share left-leaning policies.
On Thursday, England and Wales will hold local elections that are seen as a barometer of support for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government.
Yousaf, whose pro-independence party has been weakened by a campaign finance scandal and divisions over transgender rights, was brought down by his decision to oust the Green Party from his governing coalition because of differences over climate change goals. He was unable to persuade other parties to back his minority government in Scotland's regional parliament.
With no prospect of victory in two confidence votes that had been scheduled for later this week, Yousaf quit rather than be forced out. He will remain first minister while the SNP tries to choose a successor who can command a majority in parliament.
"I’ve concluded that repairing our relationship across the political divide can only be done with someone else at the helm,'' Yousaf told reporters in Edinburgh, Scotland's capital.
The debacle adds to the fevered political climate in the United Kingdom, with the country preparing for parliamentary elections at a time when concerns about immigration, health care and government spending have undermined support for the governing Conservative Party.
The Conservatives and the opposition Labour Party had proposed separate no-confidence motions in Yousaf and his government amid efforts to weaken the SNP going into the general election. The SNP has been the dominant party in Scottish politics for almost two decades and currently holds 43 of Scotland's 59 seats in the U.K. Parliament. Labour is likely to be the biggest beneficiary of the problems in the SNP because both parties share left-leaning policies.
On Thursday, England and Wales will hold local elections that are seen as a barometer of support for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government.
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