Labour will lodge a vote of no-confidence against the Scottish Government in a move that could force the entire Cabinet to resign if passed.
It’s the second vote of no-confidence to be announced this week after the Scottish Tories said they would submit one against Humza Yousaf.
Unlike the Tory motion though, Labour’s would be binding and would force Yousaf and all his ministers to quit.
At that point, Holyrood would have 28 days to elect a new FM or an election would be held.
What’s the difference between a no-confidence vote in Yousaf and one against the Scottish Government?
-
A vote of no-confidence against the First Minister signals that Parliament no longer wants him to continue as leader - It is a non-binding vote against the FM but can send a powerful political message and damage his ability to govern
- A vote of no-confidence against the Scottish Government is different because it’s a binding vote
- If a majority of MSPs vote for it, the First Minister and his entire cabinet are forced to resign
- Holyrood will have 28 days to elect a new FM – if they don’t Parliament will be dissolved and an election will be held
“It’s a matter now of when – not if – Humza Yousaf will step down as First Minister,” Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said.
“It would be untenable for the SNP to assume it can impose another unelected First Minister on Scotland.
“Scottish Labour has no confidence in Humza Yousaf or this SNP Government – that is why we are laying a motion today to this effect to say that the parliament has no confidence in the Scottish Government.”
Yousaf’s leadership has been in turmoil since he decided to end the Scottish Government’s power-sharing deal with the Greens.
@stvnews Labour will lodge a vote of no-confidence against the Scottish Government in a move that could force the entire Cabinet to resign if passed. It’s the second vote of no-confidence to be announced this week after the Scottish Tories said they would submit one against Humza Yousaf. Unlike the Tory motion though, Labour’s would be binding and would force Yousaf and all his ministers to quit. At that point, Holyrood would have 28 days to elect a new FM or an election would be held. Read more on the STV News website. #politics #scottishpolitics #anassarwar #labour #scottishlabour #firstminister #humzayousaf ♬ original sound – STV News
The First Minister sacked the party’s co-leaders, Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater, on Thursday morning before announcing that the Bute House Agreement would immediately end after being signed nearly three years ago.
The FM’s decision means the Government has now lost its majority, with SNP MSPs making up 63 of the Scottish Parliament’s 129 seats.
The Tory no-confidence motion against Yousaf, expected sometime next week, has been supported by Labour, the LibDems and the Green.
Alba MSP Ash Regan could therefore be the deciding vote.
But she has issued several demands, including progress on independence and protecting the rights of women and children, for her support.
The Labour motion doesn’t appear to have as much support as the Tory one though.
Mark Ruskell suggested his party wouldn’t back it, with the Green MSP saying: “Labour clearly don’t want this motion to pass.
“It was the poor judgement of Humza in ending the Bute House Agreement that is in question, not the record of the SNP/Green Government.”
Labour would need the backing of the Greens for the vote to pass.
Sarwar urged opposition parties to back his motion against the Government, which too could be table next week.
The Scottish Labour leader said: “People across the parliament should support our motion because it is for the people of Scotland to decide who is First Minister, not just a group of SNP members.
“Removing Humza Yousaf alone will not deliver the change we need – we need to get rid of the entire SNP government which has left almost one in six Scots on an NHS waiting list, public finances in chaos and public services at breaking point.
“The people of Scotland deserve a fresh start – this can only come with a Scottish election.
“Scottish Labour is ready and willing to deliver the change we need – from restoring our NHS, to creating jobs and making Scotland a global leader in clean energy.
“The time for change has come.”
More to follow.
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