Humza Yousaf insists he made right call to rip up Greens deal despite it costing him his job
HUMZA Yousaf yesterday insisted he was right to rip up Nats’ power-sharing deal with Greens — despite “paying the price” with his job.
The First Minister admitted he bungled the talks over ending the controversial Bute House Agreement — triggering the crisis which led to his resignation this week.
He admitted yesterday: “The manner in which it was done clearly caused upset and therefore I’ve paid the price.”
Former SNP chief John Swinney and ex-leadership contender Kate Forbes have emerged as frontrunners to replace Mr Yousaf — who announced his decision to quit on Monday, just 397 days after succeeding Nicola Sturgeon.
He is to stay on until his successor is chosen - and in a plea for party unity he urged wannabe leaders not to “talk down” their rivals.
He also told how relations with the SNP’s Greens coalition partners had become strained over kids’ gender identity services.
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That prompted his move after three years of cooperation to ditch their Holyrood pact last week — which then backfired when Greens backed Tory moves to oust him.
Mr Yousaf told the BBC: “I made it really clear that ending the Bute House Agreement was the right decision, both for my party and my country.
“But I have to acknowledge the manner in which I did it caused great upset and that’s on me.”
But he was quizzed why he’d cut Greens adrift after previously insisting their agreement was “worth its weight in gold”.
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His coalition partners had been set to put the deal’s future to a membership vote amid anger over ministers’ embarrassing climbdown on climate targets.
And Mr Yousaf insisted: “For me, the Bute House Agreement was coming to an end anyway.
“In a matter of days, possibly a matter of weeks.
“That process almost had started with the Greens going to be putting that to its membership.
“In my mind, whichever way I looked at it, the Bute House Agreement was going to come to an end.
“So that’s why I say ending the Bute House Agreement was the right thing to do for the party and the country that I lead.
“But I accept fully the manner in which it was done clearly caused upset and therefore I’ve paid the price.”
The SNP chief admitted Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie’s refusal to accept the findings of the landmark Cass Review had caused “upset” among Nats.
Quizzed about the investigation of gender services, Mr Harvie repeatedly refused to say if he accepted the report’s recommendations.
Following a four-year review, Dr Cass concluded gender-questioning kids should be steered away from medical treatment.
The report for NHS England also found evidence for prescribing hormones to pause puberty was based on “shaky foundations”.
But in a BBC TV interview Mr Harvie claimed there were “far too many criticisms” of the report for it to be accepted as a “valid scientific document”.
And Mr Yousaf yesterday suggested those remarks had put further strain on the two parties’ ties.
He said: “I made it very clear my position and the government’s position on the Cass Review.
“But it is fair to say that, of course, comments made by Patrick Harvie on the Sunday Show did upset a lot in my group.
“We cooperated well with the Greens for almost three years on a number of issues.”
But he admitted: “It was clearly becoming strained — the Bute House Agreement.”
Nats now face another potentially divisive leadership contest just a year after Mr Yousaf edged former Finance Secretary Ms Forbes in the race for Bute House.
She is mulling over another bid — as is 2000-04 leader Mr Swinney.
And the sitting First Minister called for unity amid insiders’ fears that the contest could descend into a “bloodbath”.
He insisted: “I would say to supporters of any candidate that we will gain nothing if we talk each other down.
"Talk up your candidate by all means. John and Kate, for example, have many good attributes — talk them up.
“Don’t talk the other down because the only people who benefit from that are our opponents.”
Opponents previously attacked Ms Forbes’ Christian social conservative views, after she admitted she would have voted against gay marriage had she been an MSP when they were approved in 2013.
But Mr Yousaf insisted she nor other candidates should be judged on their faith.
Holyrood’s first Muslim leader vowed: “Let me say very clearly — you can be a person of faith and be First Minister.
“I know John and Kate are both committed Christians.
“I’ve shown as somebody who is Muslim that you can be a person of faith and be First Minister.”
Mr Yousaf insisted: “What people will judge any potential candidate on is their policies, what they stand for, what they will advocate, what they might end up moving away from in terms of policy.
“That is the right discussion to have — not whether somebody of faith can be First Minister because I’ve clearly shown that they can.”
Mr Yousaf regretted how his time as First Minister was ending but said he’d be “eternally grateful” for the chance to lead his country.
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The Glasgow Pollok MSP insisted he’s looking forward to making a “positive contribution” from Holyrood’s backbenches after his successor is elected.
He added: “I’ve got some issues I’m very passionate about, whether on the global stage or here at home. Issues such as positive masculinity and standing up for peace across the world particularly as the situation in Gaza is ongoing.”