Humza Yousaf 'must back down on gender ID to save his skin in confidence vote' ... trends now
Humza Yousaf faces having to back down on trans rights to save his political skin today after triggering chaos by dumping the SNP's Green coalition partners.
The First Minister is frantically battling to cling on with a confidence vote looming next week, and the odds seemingly stacked against his survival.
His hopes could rest on Ash Regan, his former leadership rival who defected to Alex Salmond's Alba Party in protest at the SNP's stance on gender identity.
She has written to Mr Yousaf laying out demands for propping him up, including 'defending the rights of women and children'. That is thought to mean accepting the results of the Cass review, which criticised gender therapies, in full.
When Ms Regan left the SNP Mr Yousaf described it as ‘no great loss’.
Mr Yousaf attempted a dramatic power play yesterday by sacking Green ministers from his government, ending the so-called Bute House coalition agreement.
Tensions had been rising over trans and Net Zero policies and the SNP leader said he would be better running a minority administration.
However, that disastrously backfired when the furious Greens declared they will support a no confidence motion tabled by the Scottish Tories.
With other parties ranged against him, that leaves Mr Yousaf at risk of defeat. Excluding the presiding officer there are 128 MSPs in total, and the SNP only has 63.
Ms Regan holds the balance, as if she supports the First Minister he would have 64 votes. In the event of a tie the presiding officer is meant to back the status quo, so he would be able to hold on.
Humza Yousaf was branded a 'lame duck First Minister' after he announced a major U-turn by scrapping the Bute House Agreement despite previously being its biggest cheerleader within the SNP
Alba MSP Ash Regan is yet to decide how she will vote next week
JK Rowling has waded into the row, saying it was 'karma' that the First Minister was now reliant on Ms Regan
If a majority of MSPs back the vote, which is likely to take place next week, Mr Yousaf would be under intense pressure to resign
Scottish Green Party co-leaders Patrick Harvie (left) and Lorna Slater (right) arrive for First Minister's Questions on Thursday. The Greens have said they will support a vote of no confidence in the First Minister
JK Rowling has waded into the row, saying it was 'karma' that the First Minister was now reliant on Ms Regan.
The author and women's rights campaigner said on social media: 'The idea that Humza Yousaf's political fate may now lie in the hands of Ash Regan, the woman who left the SNP in disgust at its plans for gender self-ID, reminds me...'
She then shared the Tarot card Karma – which is also depicted as Judgment in some decks.
Speaking to the BBC's World Tonight, Ms Regan said: 'I have written to the First Minister today with a number of issues that I've raised with him on progress made towards independence, on how he will defend the rights of women and children and a return to competent governance.
'My vote will depend on really what Humza comes back with in response to my letter.'
She continued: 'I'm not setting out specific demands as such, I'm putting the ball into Humza's court for him to come back to me and explain to me how he will make progress in a couple of these areas, particularly around the return to a competent government.'
Allies of Mr Yousaf
