Hamza Yousaf resigns from the position of First Minister of Scotland

Youssef's decision comes at a time when he faces possible defeat in two upcoming votes of confidence presented by opposition parties.

Humza Yousaf has resigned from his position as Leader of the Scottish National Party and First Minister of Scotland.

The move comes shortly after Youssef ended the SNP's alliance with the Scottish Greens, leading to two votes of no confidence brought by opposition parties that Youssef looks likely to lose.

“I am not willing to trade my values and principles or make deals with anyone just to maintain power,” Youssef said during a televised announcement.

The fortunes of the pro-independence Scottish National Party have faltered amid a funding scandal and the resignation of Nicola Sturgeon as party leader last year. An internal struggle ensued over how far the party should advance its policies as it sought to attract voters.

Earlier this month, Youssef said he was “absolutely confident” he could win a vote of no confidence. However, by Monday, his offer to hold talks with other parties to support the minority government was uncertain.

Youssef, a Muslim leader of a major political party and Scotland's youngest elected leader, said he had “underestimated” the level of harm after the power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens was ended last week.

He said: “I have concluded that repairing the relationship across the political divide can only be done with the presence of another person at the helm of power.”

Youssef's resignation as leader of the Scottish National Party led to a search for his successor and thus the new First Minister. The Scottish Parliament will need to support any replacement in the position within 28 days. Elections will be held if a majority is not reached.

During his resignation letter, Youssef called for the start of a leadership competition to find a replacement for him as soon as possible. He will remain in his position as Prime Minister until then.

“I never dreamed”

Glasgow-born Yusuf, whose grandparents and father immigrated to Scotland from Pakistan in the 1960s, has been hailed as a brilliant communicator who the SNP hopes can unite the divided SNP.

With support emerging for the SNP's central policy – Scotland's independence from the rest of the UK – he took charge in March 2023 after winning the leadership battle.

His term was scheduled to last only one year. “Politics can be a brutal business,” Youssef said with tears in his eyes on Monday.

However, he reflected on the historic nature of his time in power, noting that UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's ethnic background is also South Asian.

He said: “I never dreamed that one day I would have the honor of leading my country.” “People who look like me were not in positions of political influence, let alone leading governments, when I was younger.”