BBC News has learned that Scotland’s first minister has ruled out any electoral pact with Alba, the party led by Alex Salmond. Mr. Salmond had suggested that Alba could support Humza Yousaf, the SNP leader in Holyrood, in a confidence vote if the SNP worked to maximize the number of pro-independence parliamentarians. A source close to Mr. Yousaf stated that the SNP leader would not agree to such a deal, calling it a “fantasy.”
Mr. Yousaf is fighting for his political survival after ejecting the Scottish Greens from his government. Confidence votes in his government and leadership could come as soon as Wednesday. The SNP has 63 seats in the Scottish Parliament, while the opposition parties have 65, meaning Mr. Yousaf would be defeated if all five opposition parties voted against him. There is no constitutional requirement for Mr. Yousaf to resign if he loses a personal confidence vote, but overwhelming political pressure would make it difficult for him to stay.
An alternative approach for Mr. Yousaf would be to secure the vote of Ash Regan, the lone Alba MSP who defected to the party from the SNP last year, after losing in the leadership election. Her supporting vote would be enough for Mr. Yousaf to continue in office, thanks to the casting vote of the presiding officer, whose convention is to vote for the status quo.
Meanwhile, the first minister has written to the other Holyrood party leaders to seek “common ground” and hold separate meetings. He hopes to discuss how they can “contribute constructively” towards resolving differences. However, Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross, who lodged the motion of no confidence in Mr. Yousaf, calls it a humiliating and embarrassing move, suggesting that Yousaf is “begging to be allowed to keep his job.” Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said he was more than happy to engage with other parties but added, “it is clear that Mr. Yousaf is out of time.”
Followers of Scottish politics must await the outcome of the upcoming confidence votes to see how this political drama develops
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