The SNP leader badly miscalculated his support. But London’s meddling in Scottish politics also played its part
You’ve seen it posted on office walls and Instagram feeds: diamonds are formed under pressure. Well, so are career-ending mistakes. Hopefully Humza Yousaf, who last week collapsed his own government’s majority by ending the SNP’s cooperation agreement with the Scottish Greens and then resigned before a probable no-confidence vote at Holyrood, can find clarity and respite after what must have been a personally horrible year.
Politics is unforgiving at the best of times, but it must not be forgotten that for a sizeable chunk of his time in office some of Yousaf’s family members were trapped in Gaza. He spoke honestly about the emotional toll, and became one of the few western leaders – out of clear principle, not just personal investment – to openly criticise Israel’s relentless assault on the Palestinian people.
Rory Scothorne is a historian and writer based in Edinburgh
