Yousaf quits after sending Scottish Greens packing from Bute House

APRIL

Scotland’s new hate crime laws came into effect, three years after the Scottish Government’s Hate Crime Act was passed by MSPs. The law created new stirring up of hatred offences for protected characteristics including age, disability, religion, sexual orientation and transgender identity. Chief Superintendent Rob Hay of the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents warned the new laws could damage trust and confidence in the police from both potential victims and perpetrators.

Author JK Rowling challenged police to arrest her under the new laws if they believed she had committed an offence by listing on social media a number of transgender women, including violence criminals and activists, and describing “every last one” as a man. She wrote: "Freedom of speech and belief are at an end in Scotland if the accurate description of biological sex is deemed criminal.” Rowling was not arrested.

After just three days, officers were flooded with thousands of hate crime complaints amid concerns the controversial new laws has become the "biggest ever burden placed on Scotland's police force". It emerged Rowling's posts would not be recorded as a "non-crime hate incident", despite Tory MSP Murdo Fraser having such a report against him.

Iran launched an unprecedented attack on Israeli soil, with a barrage of more than 300 drones and missiles. UK and US aircraft helped intercept the weapons, with the two countries saying they “stand ready to take further measures now and in response to further destabilising initiatives”. Israel said it would “exact a price” from Iran when the timing was right.

Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of the SNP and husband of former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, was charged with embezzlement of the party's funds after a long-running investigation by Police Scotland. The police probe, known as Operation Branchform, began after concerns were raised about the use of more than £600,000 in donations meant for independence campaigning.

Humza Yousaf resigned as first minister and SNP leader in the wake of his decision to ditch the Bute House Agreement power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens. Mr Yousaf confirmed admitted he "clearly under-estimated the level of upset and hurt" his decision to end the agreement caused the Scottish Greens.

Scottish Green Party co-leaders Lorna Slater and Patrick Harvie speak to the media at the Scottish Parliament after First Minister Humza Yousaf terminated the Bute House agreement with immediate effect | PA

MAY

Deputy First Minister and SNP veteran John Swinney emerged as Mr Yousaf’s successor after Kate Gorbes announced she would not run in the party leadership race. Mr Swinney said he would be “no caretaker” first minister and would lead the SNP into the 2026 Holyrood election and beyond.

The following week, Mr Swinney was accused of assembling a “continuity” Cabinet as Ms Forbes was thrown back on to the frontline of Scottish politics by being named as the new First Minister's deputy. In his first act as First Minister after being sworn in at the Court of Session, Mr Swinney announced Ms Forbes, the former finance secretary, would deputise for him.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made a “whole-hearted and unequivocal apology” to victims of the infected blood scandal. An inquiry, which was established to examine the circumstances in which patients treated by the NHS in the 1970s and 1980s received infected blood, found deliberate attempts were made to conceal the disaster. This included evidence of Whitehall officials destroying documents. More than 30,000 people in the UK, including about 3,000 in Scotland, contracted HIV and Hepatitis C via contaminated blood products.

Mr Sunak announced a snap general election to be held on July 4, addressing the press outside Downing Street in pouring rain as the New Labour anthem Things Can Only Get Better was played loudly nearby. Meanwhile, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer gave an address indoors while flanked by two Union Jack flags in which he described the election as an opportunity to "end the chaos".

Donald Trump became the first former US president to be convicted in a criminal court as a New York jury found him guilty on all counts in a historic hush money trial. The verdict exposed Mr Trump to potential prison time in the city. Afterwards Mr Trump said: "This was a disgrace, this was a rigged trial." The conviction did not bar him from continuing his pursuit of a second term as US president.

JUNE

The Edinburgh International Book Festival split with main sponsor Baillie Gifford, but organisers denied they had “caved in to bullying” from environmental activists. The decision followed similar moves by the Wigtown Book Festival and the Borders Book Festival. Campaigners suggested those taking part in Baillie Gifford-backed literary festivals were “complicit in genocide” because of the firm’s links with fossil fuel companies, as well as Israel’s defence, tech and cybersecurity industries.

The King and the Prince of Wales praised the "bravery and sacrifice" of D-Day veterans who "served at that critical time" as they both made speeches in France on the 80th anniversary of the landings. Charles addressed an emotional crowd of veterans at the national commemorative event in Ver-sur-Mer in Normandy as he spoke of his "profound sense of gratitude" to those who served in 1944. At the Canadian commemorative ceremony on Juno Beach, William thanked those who served "for our freedom".

Thousands of “Swifties” flocked to Edinburgh for three sell-out concerts by pop superstar Taylor Swift at Murrayfield Stadium as part of her Eras tour. City council leader Cammy Day said they had boosted the local economy by tens of millions of pounds.

The Scottish Conservatives were thrown into crisis just three weeks before the general election when Douglas Ross announced his intention to quit as party leader, controversially putting himself forward for the new Westminster seat of Aberdeenshire North and Moray East. Hours earlier, former Tory minister David Duguid was told by the party’s management board he was not well enough to take his place on the ballot for the seat. Mr Duguid was receiving hospital treatment for a spinal injury.

SNP ministers were accused of fuelling Scotland’s "devastating housing emergency" after it emerged the number of new constructions started the previous year had dropped to the lowest level in a decade. The figures showed progress stalling to a worse level than the pandemic as the number of homes completed fell by 17 per cent, while starts dropped by 15 per cent to the lowest level since 2013/14.