Scottish Politics LIVE: Bute House Agreement scrapped as Humza Yousaf faces vote of no confidence
We follow live as the Bute House Agreement between the SNP and the Scottish Greens ends.
Scottish Politics Live: Bute House Agreement has collapsed | Humza Yousaf holds press conference
Anas Sarwar said: “Humza Yousaf has defended this discredited government and if won’t listen to me, will he listen to Humza Yousaf?
“Just days ago you said the Bute House Agreement was worth its weight in gold and was pleading for party members to keep the Greens in government, and saying you hope Green members see the benefit of co-operation.
“Now he’s forced into a humiliating U-turn and he knows it.
“He said he ‘can’t imagine being leader of the SNP and destabilising the government by going into a minority government, that would be a tremendously foolish thing to do’.”
Mr Yousaf added: “Not content with nicking Tory policies, Anas Sarwar is knicking Tory lines.” This has caused a huge uproar of giggles in the chamber.
Anas Sarwar is up next - also on the Bute House Agreement.
He says the only two Green jobs the agreement created were the government ministerial positions for Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater, who no longer have those jobs after this morning.
He is now asking why more than two ministers haven’t lost their jobs.
Douglas Ross says the “Greens belonged nowhere near government”, and says the First Minister is a “laying duck”.
The camera has just panned to the six Green MSPs sitting at the back of the chamber, and they do not look happy.
Conservative Party leader Douglas Ross immediately asking about the Bute House Agreement, quoting the Scottish Greens’ scathing statement against the First Minister.
Humza Yousaf said: “What we have achieved with the Bute House Agreement, which as I said this morning has served its purpose, the Bute House Agreement has lasted 969 days, or another way of putting it, 19 Liz Trusses.
“That record of the Bute House of Agreement has seen the railways taken into public ownership, free bus travel for under 22s, banned the most problematic single-use plastics and increased the game-changing Scottish Child Payment.
“Our record is one we can stand on and be proud of, in contrast to the Tory government’s record that has overseen the biggest fall in living standards on record, Brexit which has been an unmitigated disaster, and the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.
“That is why the Tories are on the brink of an almighty thumping from the electorate and they deserve nothing less.”
Humza Yousaf is about to face FMQs in the Scottish Parliament - guessing a lot of the questioning and back-and-forth will focus on the Bute House Agreement being ended. I’m in Holyrood just now so keep an eye on the blog for all the latest as it happens.
Not that anyone cares at this point, but today Justice Secretary Angela Constance will publish an independence paper on what the justice system in an independent Scotland will look like.
Liz Lloyd, former top advisor to Nicola Sturgeon, says the ending of the Bute House Agreement could make or break Humza Yousaf as First Minister.
She said: “The decision to end the Bute House Agreement has potential to be either the making of or the ending of Humza Yousaf’s leadership.
“There are a number of tests he and his team will now have to navigate (aside from a Westminster election).
“Firstly there has not been a clear narrative, a clear purpose or good communication of the government agenda during his time as FM. Can he fix that with a reset?
“Which policies and spending decisions the SNP government recommits to will now be a big decision for the cabinet.
“Do they have a clear agenda to deliver in areas voters are looking at? How much infleunce will the gang of more conservative SNP MSPs on the backbench have?
“Externally there is a growing sense of inaction at all levels of government, decisions going unmade for too long and failure to grasp opportunities.
“Can this move unblock the system and reinject some energy into the machine or does it add to a sense of constant crisis?
“Legislation and budgets? Yousaf will need to make good use of executive powers but can’t avoid difficult issues forever.
“Surviving will not just hang on Westminster election results but on the price he pays to find a route through parliament when no party has an incentive to help.
“It’s going to be another interesting few months in Scottish politics.”
Our Westminster Correspondent Alexander Brown is reporting that Humza Yousaf is due to have a call with SNP MPs in the House of Commons this afternoon.
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