Humza Yousaf has announced his resignation as Scotland's first minister ahead of forthcoming confidence votes. Mr Yousaf had been battling for his political survival after terminating the power-sharing deal between the SNP and Scottish Greens on Thursday. He entered Holyrood in 2011, first as a regional MSP and then as the representative for Glasgow Pollok five years later. In 2012, he became a junior minister in Alex Salmond’s government, before being promoted to the Scottish Cabinet during Nicola Sturgeon’s premiership. He went on to become the youngest and the first Asian and Muslim first minister in the office’s history. Report by Jonesia. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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00:00 It was unlucky 13 today for Humza Yousaf, the number of months to the day since he succeeded
00:05 Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister. Reports that he would be stepping down emerged on
00:10 Sunday evening and were confirmed by Mr Yousaf at a press conference on Monday.
00:16 I am not willing to trade my values and principles or do deals with whomever simply for retaining
00:24 power. Therefore, after spending the weekend reflecting on what is best for my party, for
00:31 the government and for the country I lead, I have concluded that repairing our relationship
00:37 across the political divide can only be done with someone else at the helm.
00:43 On Thursday last week, the First Minister scrapped the SNP's co-operation agreement
00:47 with the Scottish Greens after two and a half years governing as a pro-independence majority.
00:53 Disagreements over environmental targets and gender services saw Mr Yousaf decide the SNP
00:59 should go it alone in a minority government. At First Minister's questions in Holyrood
01:03 just two hours after that announcement.
01:06 I can confirm today that on behalf of the Scottish Conservatives I am lodging a vote
01:10 of no confidence in Humza Yousaf.
01:15 A Conservative motion that Labour, the Lib Dems and the Greens all said they would support.
01:19 And Mr Yousaf's SNP colleagues made clear they would not countenance an agreement with
01:24 Alex Salmond's Albaba party.
01:27 Today the outgoing First Minister paid an emotional tribute to his family.
01:31 Politics can be a brutal business. It takes its toll on your physical and mental health.
01:37 Your family suffer alongside you. I am in absolute debt to my wonderful wife, my beautiful
01:46 children and my wider family for putting up with me over the years. I'm afraid you will
01:51 be seeing a lot more of me from now.
01:54 Humza Yousaf entered Holyrood almost 13 years ago, first as a regional MSP and then as the
02:00 representative for Glasgow Pollock. In 2012 he became a junior minister in Alex Salmond's
02:06 government, the first Muslim minister in the history of the Scottish Parliament.
02:10 In 2021 Nicola Sturgeon appointed him Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care. During
02:16 the Covid-19 pandemic.
02:18 His next appointments would be as SNP leader and Scotland's first minister, the youngest
02:23 and the first Asian and Muslim first minister in the office's history.
02:27 He was seen as Nicola Sturgeon's heir and a reflection of a modern Scotland.
02:32 However, within days of being elected, his predecessor's husband, former SNP chief executive
02:37 Peter Morrell, was arrested by police investigating the whereabouts of £600,000 of donations.
02:44 things would not.