Humza Yousaf insists he will not resign as First Minister as pressure mounts on SNP leader

Humza Yousaf has vowed he will not resign as First Minister as he reached out to opposition parties today in the hope they can save his political career.

The SNP leader insisted he has not considered his position and fully intends to fight two motions of no confidence lodged against him and his Government.

Yousaf's future as the leader of the country was thrown into doubt yesterday after he dramatically pulled the plug on the Bute House Agreement with the Greens.

The environmentalists reacted with fury and later announced they would support a motion of no confidence brought by the Tories against the SNP leader, with a vote to be held next week.

Speaking on a hastily arranged visit to a housing association development in Dundee on Friday, Yousaf told reporters he would be writing to all parties in Holyrood to encourage them to help "make minority government work".

And he offered an olive branch to the Greens - insisting he wanted to continue working with them on an issue-by-issue basis.

Yousaf had earlier cancelled a planned speech in Glasgow and chosen to visit Dundee instead where he toured recently completed flats in the Hill Town.

Asked if he would resign, Yousaf said: “No, I absolutely intend to fight that motion of no confidence. Why? Because the people of Scotland elected the SNP as the largest party in the Scottish Parliament.

"So all this political game playing the opposition are doing, I’m going to leave it to them. I’m announcing £80m for affordable housing, that’s the priorities I’m focused on. But no, I won’t be resigning."

When asked if he had considered his position, he said: “No, because I intend on winning that vote of no confidence. I believe we can. And also because ultimately I'm focused, as First Minister, on the priorities of the people, like announcing £80m for affordable housing."

When pressed if he wouldn't resign before a vote of no confidence is held, he said: “Whenever that vote of no confidence is held, the SNP will be fighting it, I’ll be fighting it, and I intend on winning it."

He added: “I’ll be writing later today to every single party leader, and party grouping, and asking them to come to me and help make minority government work, and that includes Ash Regan”

Yousaf insisted it was “not the intention” to upset the Greens by kicking them out from the Scottish Government.

He said: “I don’t regret the ending of the Bute House Agreement but I’ve heard they’re upset, I’ve heard their anger. And I can honestly say that was not the intention.”

And he claimed he “really valued the contribution” of Scottish Green co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater.

“That upset and anger that wasn’t meant from me, and I look forward to hopefully a response from Patrick and Lorna to the letter I intend to write them in the coming days," he added.

But Harvie warned it was "pretty clear" Yousaf was not able to unite the Scottish Parliament following the collapse of the powersharing deal.

Speaking to before Yousaf's trip to Dundee, the Greens co-leader said it was now up to the SNP to find a suitable leader.

He said: "Very clearly, he doesn’t have the confidence of parliament I think that’s going to be clear. We said very clearly the responsibility of the decision is on him. He needs to bear the consequences of that reckless and damaging decision.

"I think it’s pretty clear he’s not the person who is going to be able to bring together a majority of parliament.”

Asked if there was any way back for Yousaf in terms of working with the Greens, he said the First Minister had “broken trust”.

He added: "He still hasn’t really given any clarity on why he made such a dramatic U-turn and broken a promise on which he was elected as First Minister.

"So it’s very difficult to see how you can have a conversation that leads to a constructive outcome on the basis of that lack of trust."

Asked by the Record how he could expect to work with the Greens again given their anger, Yousaf said: "Patrick and Lorna have given incredible service to the Government and to the country.

"They had worked hard, there is no doubt about their competence as ministers in the slightest.

"This was a decision taken as I thought it was the right thing to do for my party, for my government, and for the country I lead.

"But I want to continue to work with the Greens on an issue-by-issue basis, in a less formal arrangement than the Bute House Agreement.

"There are a number of policy areas where we have absolute agreement."

To sign up to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, click here