Opponents said yesterday they would seek to oust the leader of Scotland after the pro-independence party that has dominated Scottish politics for more than a decade abandoned a coalition with the Greens.
Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Humza Yousaf, who serves as first minister in Scotland’s devolved government and favours leaving the UK, ended an alliance with the Greens over a decision to scrap a climate change emissions reduction target last week.
The Scottish arm of the Conservative Party that governs Britain said it would seek to topple Yousaf with a no-confidence motion, calling him a “lame duck”. Other opposition parties did not immediately disclose how they would vote.
The SNP has led Scotland’s devolved government since 2011, but its fortunes faltered since a funding scandal and the resignation of a party leader last year.
The party holds broadly centre-left views, but its coalition with the Greens had highlighted splits over how progressive its pitch should be as it seeks to woo back voters on social and environmental issues beyond its core call for independence.
The SNP has more than twice as many Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) as its nearest rivals, but its 63 seats out of 129 are just short of an outright majority, forcing it to join forces since 2021 with the Greens who hold seven.