Scottish independence Prime Minister Humza Yousaf ended the government coalition between his party, the SNP, and the environmentalists on Thursday April 25. This announcement leaves the British territory with a government without a majority, in an already difficult period for separatists since the resignation of Nicola Sturgeon as head of the local executive last year.
The Scottish National Party (SNP) has dominated the local Parliament in Edinburgh since 2007 but has governed since 2021 thanks to a coalition with the Greens. “I think it is in the interests of the Scottish people to seek a different arrangement,” Humza Yousaf told a press conference.
The head of the Scottish government, who came to power in March 2023, explained that he had announced to the leaders of the Green party the end of the coalition “with immediate effect”. The Bute House Agreement, voted on by members of both parties in August 2021, brought the Greens into government for the first time in the UK and gave the SNP a majority in the Scottish Parliament when its votes are combined with those of the seven Green MPs.
The decision to end the agreement between the two parties comes a week after the Scottish Government admitted it would be unable to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2030, without abandon its promise to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045.
“Political cowardice”
Without the support of the Greens, the SNP led by Humza Yousaf finds itself in the minority. “It will be difficult. We will look to work not only with the Scottish Greens, but with MPs from all parties,” the First Minister said. “The SNP needs freedom and flexibility to move Scotland forward and adapt to this changing world,” he added, speaking of “a new start for the SNP government”.
Lorna Slater, who leads the Green Party with Patrick Harvie, accused the SNP of “political cowardice”, saying the party was “selling out future generations to appease the most reactionary forces in the country”. Scottish Conservative leader Craig Hoy says the end of the coalition represents “a humiliation” for Humza Yousaf.
At the national level, the party finds itself threatened by a strong comeback from the Labor Party in Scotland during the legislative elections scheduled for this year. He is weighed down by an investigation for embezzlement for which his former general director was indicted.
