Oh, it’s too delicious for words. The Greens withdrew from government, which earned them a huge sulking.
SNP collapses as Tories brazenly table no-confidence motion.
And Humza Yousaf, our chaotic and clumsy prime minister, hanging on by a very thin thread.
But let’s not be too hasty. In fact, I would like to take a moment to make a personal appeal to Mr. Yousaf: Prime Minister, please don’t go there.
I know, I know, I really feel like I’ve lost my mind.
The man has been a walking disaster in office, has about as much charisma as a garden snail, and has relentlessly pursued a set of confusing and misguided policies that make about as much sense as, it turns out- he said, the Bute House agreement.
Responding to an avalanche of questions Prime Minister Humza Yousaf addresses the media
Prime Minister Humza Yousaf in happier times with Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater
And yet, to those of us who support the Union, who have remained sullen through 17 years of SNP government, as well as a referendum that went in our favor but did nothing to stem the tide of fulminating nationalism nor even the endless threats against another party. to come, I promise you: Yousaf is our greatest asset.
Because the truth is that Yousaf’s terrible reign as Prime Minister is the best thing that could have happened to the Union.
Under his leadership, former SNP voters left their once-beloved party in droves. It now enjoys a net favorability rating of -10, down from -1 in March 2023.
The Yes movement is in tatters and nothing has come to replace it. Support for independence has declined.
The SNP are going to have a bad night at the next general election, whatever they want us to think, and their popularity is dropping like a stone.
Now, to be completely fair, all of this can’t be blamed on Yousaf.
The Scottish Police’s ongoing investigation, Operation Branchform, into the party’s funding and finances has undoubtedly had detrimental consequences.
And her predecessor Nicola Sturgeon, whatever your personal opinion of her, undoubtedly had a better run in her early years.
There was no post-pandemic economic downturn to deal with, no cost of living crisis, and it started with a comfortable majority in government, which meant there was no Patrick Harvie to appease.
And yet, Yousaf continually shot himself in the foot in a way that would be comical if it weren’t so disastrous. The GRR bill. The deposit return system. The Hate Crimes Bill.
This is just a sample of the out-of-touch policies that Yousaf has, during his 13 months in office, done his best to impose on a reluctant and weary nation.
I mean, this is a government so blind to its own failings that, like a child rearranging toy furniture in a doll’s house, it continues to dwell on its plans for independence.
On Thursday, ministers launched the latest exciting part of the SNP’s independence prospectus.
Part thirteen (would you believe) of his Building a New Scotland series tackles the thorny issues of “justice in an independent Scotland” which, well, apologizes for pointing out the obvious, but justice doesn’t is it not already decentralized?
And isn’t it a bit insolent that this document and the 12 other, no doubt scintillating, parts that preceded it were written by independent civil servants, despite fears that they were not being asked to work on questions related to the constitution?
And isn’t that just a monumental, ego-driven waste of time and money for everyone involved?
But then again we have another reason why Humza Yousaf is a fantastic asset to the Union.
Certainly, he is not the only prime minister to be obsessed with independence, but his stubborn pursuit of this goal in the current climate has never seemed more timid or out of touch with reality.
There comes a time, and for some of the less patient among us it was long passed, when beating the drum for something the majority of the nation doesn’t want or care about starts to seem silly .
I think it would be harder than ever to find many people in Scotland today who regard independence as the most important political issue.
They care about taxes, education, the crumbling NHS and the need to fill that pothole at the end of the street.
Yes, they probably think about climate change from time to time and diligently recycle every week. But again, it’s not at the top of the list.
Yousaf’s greatest weakness – and therefore any Union supporter’s greatest advantage – is that he absolutely doesn’t understand this. He just doesn’t understand.
In an attempt to appear progressive and lit, he now seems disconnected from the basics of politics, the people he claims to serve, and the things that really matter.
He ordered his government to waste time, money and energy on a hate crime bill that criminalizes what people say at home and dramatically increased police workload underfunded Scottish.
Ignoring the rights and safety of women and girls. Criminalize what people put in their trash.
Issuing endless nanny edicts about what we eat and drink, how we travel, what advertisements we are allowed to see… all things the government should never get involved in at all.
Like many Scots, I have had no confidence in Humza Yousaf from the start.
I never believed he was up to the task, and I have a sneaking suspicion that many of the SNP politicians felt the same way.
Next week, when we vote in Holyrood, we will know how many of his fellow parliamentarians have agreed.
But I honestly and sincerely hope that enough of them decide to keep this lame duck at FM in his job.
Because stick with Humza and not only will the wheels come off, but the SNP could well find themselves voted out of office altogether.
And nothing could be more delicious than that.
dailymail us
