Shortly after the Supreme Court ruling, moves to simplify the gender recognition process for trans people in 2023 proved unpopular with some SNP rebels and Sturgeon, usually an unflappable media artist, had a hard time. struggling to defend one’s policy in a manner catastrophic television interview.
Sturgeon resigned shortly after, saying she was “exhausted”. The long-running investigation into the party’s finances that followed his departure quickly became a real bane for Yousaf.
“Poor Humza. Through no fault of his own he hasn’t got off to a good start,” said a former Scottish government adviser, speaking on condition of anonymity, on the day Colin Beattie, the former SNP treasurer, was arrested just weeks into Yousaf’s leadership. This would become a common refrain, as Beattie’s arrest was followed by Sturgeon’s, and then the indictment of her husband, Murrell, in April.
Under Yousaf, the SNP’s poll numbers began to fall in the face of the resurgence of the Scottish Labor Party led by Anas Sarwar. As the power-sharing deal with the left-wing Scottish Greens – put in place by Sturgeon in 2021 – continued, some in her party also felt that Yousaf’s government was looking the other way by pursuing policies such as fishing restriction and a security deposit. return system, which discouraged the middle-class voters who had propelled the SNP into government in 2007.
The Scottish Government is also increasingly on the wrong side of public opinion over its handling of public services – and Sarwar and his allies believe victory in the 2026 Scottish general election could be within their reach.
With Yousaf’s departure, a potential civil war within the SNP looms, with the two candidates to replace him assessing their credentials.
Politices
