Humza Yousaf's rise to the top of Scottish politics ends in tears
STV NewsApr 29
Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf Resigns
Image copyright: Andrew Milligan-Pool/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Humza Yousaf announced his resignation as Scotland's First Minister on Monday afternoon, having ended the Scottish National Party's (SNP) coalition agreement with the Green Party last week.
Yousaf said that while he believed his decision to end the Bute House Agreement with the Greens was the "right decision for the country," he "underestimated the level of hurt" caused during attempts to agree to a "less formal arrangement" while acting in the minority government.
The Spin
Narrative A
While Yousaf's political career has taken a blow, his story is one of success. Although unfortunately defined by the chaos and scandals of the post-Sturgeon era, by becoming Scotland's youngest-ever first minister and also its first Asian and Muslim appointee, Yousaf's rise to the top will be remembered.
Narrative B
Despite Yousaf's emotional sendoff, there is no doubt that the fall of the first minister's career was self-induced. Having led his party into a political crisis, Yousaf's tenure at the top of Scottish politics never felt quite right and there is a deep sense of irony that the SNP's destruction will come at the hands of Alex Salmond.
Nerd narrative
There is a 6% chance that Scotland will leave the United Kingdom before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.