Scotland’s first minister and SNP leader’s demise shows Westminster does not have the monopoly of chaos and ineptitude

It must be contagious. Just when you thought Westminster might have the monopoly on incompetence and chaos, along comes Humza Yousaf, Scotland’s first minister, saying: “Hold my Diet Coke.” Anything the Tories can do south of the border, the Scottish National party can manage north of it. We are in a new political era where the life span of politicians is measured in units of Liz Truss. Or lettuces. So Yousaf reaching seven and half Trusses – or approximately 54 lettuces. Which, all things considered, is fairly respectable. If a lot less than he had hoped.

Last Thursday, Yousaf had consciously uncoupled from the Scottish Green party . “You’re dumped,” he had announced, looking rather pleased with himself. It had been meant to be a power play. To ditch the Greens before they ditched him. A show of strength that the SNP could survive as a minority government without their coalition partner.

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A failed act of brinkmanship has led to more self-inflicted drama for the SNP, as it struggles to emerge from a tumultuous period

“Gradually, then suddenly,” replies a character in Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises , on being asked how he went bankrupt. Something to that effect has just been experienced by Scotland’s first minister, Humza Yousaf, who stood down on Monday after seeing his political currency dwindle to zero in a matter of days.

Less than a week after ending the Scottish National party’s pact with the Scottish Greens, which gave him his majority in Holyrood, Mr Yousaf fell on his sword after discovering that no viable plan B was available that included him at the helm. As he frankly admitted on Monday during an emotional press conference, Mr Yousaf grievously miscalculated in believing it would be possible to unexpectedly bin the cooperation agreement with the Greens, summarily dismiss the party’s co-leaders from his government, and then rely on their support for an SNP-minority administration. It was an inept piece of brinkmanship from a politician who, while clearly a decent man, has not convincingly navigated his party through ever-choppier waters following the resignation of Nicola Sturgeon last February.

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Rishi Sunak’s rightward journey on asylum is turning the UK into a darker place

The prospect of people who have come to the UK seeking asylum being deported to Rwanda has moved a step closer, one week after the Safety of Rwanda Act was voted into law. On Monday the Home Office began an operation to detain people in dedicated centres, sooner than most had anticipated. A statement described the rounding-up of potential deportees as “the final phase of operationalising this landmark policy”.

The plan is for the first flights to take off in 10 to 12 weeks. Arrangements in Rwanda, including the 50-room “ Hope hostel ” near Kigali airport, have been made in accordance with the deal signed two years ago.

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The SNP leader badly miscalculated his support. But London’s meddling in Scottish politics 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

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We’re interested to hear how people feel about Humza Yousaf’s resignation Scotland’s political situation generally, and what they hope will happen next

We’d like to hear people’s views on the current political fallout in Scotland and the resignation of first minister Humza Yousaf .

Yousaf had scrapped the Bute House agreement, which was brokered by his predecessor Nicola Sturgeon in 2021 and cemented a progressive, pro-independence majority at Holyrood, after increasing internal criticism within the SNP of Green influence on policy direction.

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Police Scotland thanks public who helped trace 29-year-old Jamie Ross who escaped from guards while at Edinburgh crematorium

A prisoner who escaped from guards while attending a family funeral in Scotland has been found, police said.

Officers began a search for Jamie Ross after he absconded from custody at around lunchtime on Tuesday.

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As first minister Humza Yousaf fights to stay in power, sources believe fallout from defunct coalition could help Labour win seats at general election

An increasingly bitter split between the SNP and the Greens has brought even more Scottish parliamentary seats into play for Keir Starmer, Labour figures believe, amid a desperate fight by first minister Humza Yousaf to stay in power.

Yousaf has already refused to rule out a Holyrood election as he faces damaging no-confidence motions this week. On Saturday he wrote to the leaders of Scotland’s political parties in an attempt to find “common ground” following his decision to axe a coalition with the Scottish Greens that had propped up his government. Yousaf maintained that it would be a “poor choice” for the Greens to back a no-confidence motion in his minority government.

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Rodrigo Falcon last seen in early hours of 11 December 2022 after leaving The Vault nightclub in Aviemore

A body has been found in the search for a man who was last seen in a Highlands village more than a year ago.

Rodrigo Falcon, an Argentinian, disappeared in freezing conditions in the early hours of 11 December 2022.

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