Scotland’s Political Turmoil: Yousaf Resigns, Green Party Splits, and SNP Faces No-Confidence Vote

Independent journalist Glenn Greenwald discusses the implications of Scotland’s Hate Crime Act on “The Ingraham Angle.” However, in recent developments, Scotland’s first minister Humza Yousaf resigned ahead of a no-confidence vote as his coalition partner the Green Party ditched plans for reducing greenhouse gases. The Scottish National Party (SNP), weakened by scandals and divisions over transgender rights, failed to form an alliance with a breakaway nationalist party whose single seat could have given Yousaf’s government a majority in Scotland’s devolved parliament. Without the prospect of victory, Yousaf quit rather than face defeat as lawmakers prepared to vote on motions of no confidence later this week. The move adds to political turmoil across the United Kingdom where concerns over immigration, healthcare and spending have eroded support for Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party. Opposition parties had proposed separate no-confidence motions against Yousaf’s government as they sought to weaken SNP ahead of a U.K.-wide parliamentary election expected later this year. The local elections in England and Wales on Thursday are seen as an indicator for the popularity levels before wider national polls happen further down line, given Scotland holds similar ideological beliefs that Labour espouses; albeit without much policy-related support due to Scottish devolution issues from 1998 onwards leading them being excluded by many in Westminster.