A defiant Humza Yousaf has told Sky News that he will not be resigning as Scotland’s first minister.
Pressure has been building on the SNP leader after he kicked his powersharing partners out of government – prompting a no-confidence motion in his leadership.
“I intend absolutely to fight that vote of no confidence and I’m getting on with the day job,” he told Sky’s Scotland correspondent Connor Gillies – and accused the opposition of “playing games”.
The first minister had announced plans to cut ties with the Scottish Greens on Thursday following a bitter row over the SNP’s climbdown on climate targets.
Earlier on Friday, Mr Yousaf had cancelled a planned speech at Strathclyde University in Glasgow with hours to spare – with sources insisting the embattled politician would “come out fighting”.
He insisted that he is delivering on the priorities of the people – and plans to write to leaders from all Scottish political parties and seek a meeting on making a minority government work.
Scottish Labour has also lodged a no-confidence motion in the entire devolved government – rather than just Mr Yousaf. If that passes, it could trigger a parliamentary election in Holyrood.
The country’s Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: “It’s a matter now of when – not if – Humza Yousaf will step down as first minister.
“It would be untenable for the SNP to assume it can impose another unelected first minister on Scotland.”
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