Humza Yousaf has officially ended the Scottish National Party’s (SNP) coalition with the Scottish Greens, bringing to a close a tumultuous three-year alliance.
The First Minister decided to dissolve the partnership following a meeting with leaders from the Scottish Greens. The decision came after an emergency meeting with his Cabinet at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday morning.
Yousaf’s intervention followed an announcement by the Scottish Greens that they would hold a vote among their members on whether to continue the coalition agreement. The Green party’s leadership became incensed after the SNP dropped key climate change targets last week, prompting them to call for the internal vote, which is scheduled for next month.
Both Yousaf’s allies and critics argued that the Greens’ planned vote made him look weak, suggesting he should take the initiative to end the coalition. By axing the Bute House Agreement, Green Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater will no longer serve in government positions.
