Humza Yousaf clears the decks to battle no-confidence vote

Humza Yousaf's position as Scotland’s first minister is hanging in the balance, as he "fights for his political future" with a no-confidence vote looming.

The Holyrood grapevine is abuzz with reports that Yousaf has cancelled a planned speech in Glasgow later today to concentrate on the challenge to his leadership, Sky News said. 

The Scottish Greens said yesterday that they would join Labour, Lib Dem and Conservative MSPs in voting against Yousaf, hours after the first minister "dramatically brought the powersharing deal with the Greens to an end".

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The motion of no confidence, tabled by Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross, could go before MSPs as early as Wednesday.

The coalition had become strained over climate change targets and a row over Scotland's only gender clinic, and it has been suggested that Yousaf chose to end the arrangement "rather than looking weak by having the Greens walk out on him", said The Telegraph.

Yousaf though appears to "have underestimated the fury of his former colleagues", said The Times. With Scotland's opposition parties united against him, the deciding vote on Yousaf's political future would fall to Ash Regan, the only sitting MSP from Alex Salmond's Alba Party.

A former ally and supporter of Yousaf, speaking anonymously to The Times said: "He's done. Whether it's today, tomorrow or later than that, he's done." But one senior SNP source said Yousaf would fight to the end, noting that "only one MSP needs to change their mind" for him to stay in power. 

The past few days have "done nothing to combat the perception of Yousaf as a leader battered by political currents, swept this way and that and unable to get a grip on events", said The Scotsman. 

When he was chosen to succeed Nicola Sturgeon, Yousaf promised "continuity", said The Guardian – and that seems to be his problem. After 17 years in power, it's no wonder that the SNP's accumulated problems "have now come home to roost" with Yousaf, "especially when the party's reason for existing – independence – remains so distant".