The B-team?

Following a badly handled attempt to extract his government from being progressively dragged down by the Scottish Greens, the First Minister has been forced to resign.

A year ago, when Mr Yousaf stepped up to the top job, there was a suspicion that he was primarily there because he was prepared to follow in his predecessor’s footsteps. The worry was he had been promoted well beyond his capabilities. There was also a concern that after so many other Ministers had for various reasons stepped away from their frontline roles, the SNP was left with its B-team in Government. The experience of the past year suggests those fears were justified.

Mr Yousaf undoubtedly inherited a serious array of challenges. Yet whereas both his predecessors had an uncanny way of turning difficulties to their advantage, or at least finding someone else to blame, he made a habit of making a bad situation worse. While some might have hoped that Mr Yousaf and his leadership team would raise their game to meet the challenges facing them, they have instead demonstrated a woeful lack of focus on Scotland’s real priorities.

The SNP now seeks to assess its options from amongst a narrowing field of B-team hopefuls. Meanwhile, Scotland wonders if whoever they eventually choose will be any less divisive or any more able to bring stability to Scotland’s government. Three SNP First Ministers in a row have now had to step down as their “we know best” attitude has come up against the real-world consequences of preferring political posturing to properly delivering for all of Scotland.

Keith Howell West Linton, Scottish Borders