Scottish government survives no confidence vote after collapse of powersharing deal

Prior to the vote Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar had said that Scotland was "crying out for change" and likened the Scottish National Party to the Conservatives in Westminster, ITV News' Louise Scott reports

Words by Daniel Boal, ITV News Producer

The Scottish government has survived a vote of no confidence tabled after the collapse of a powersharing deal between the SNP and the Scottish Greens.

Put forward by Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, the vote was defeated by 58 votes for to 70 against with no abstentions.

Green co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater were sacked from government last week when Humza Yousaf dissolved the Bute House agreement.

A move that set off a political firestorm, forcing Yousaf to step down as first minster and leaving the SNP to hold its second leadership contest in barely a year.

If the motion had passed, the entire Scottish government would have been forced to resign, with Holyrood given 28 days to elect a new first minister before an election was called.

Prior to the vote Mr Sarwar had said that Scotland was "crying out for change" and likened the Scottish National Party to the Conservatives in Westminster - who suffered a similar fate with a hattrick of premierships from Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.

Mr Sarwar added that both the SNP and Tories had been “unable to meet the ambitions, hopes and aspirations of the people”, adding: “That’s why our country is crying out for change. They want to get rid of this rotten Tory government across the UK.

“And they want to move on from this dysfunctional and incompetent SNP government here in Scotland. That’s why we need an election so the people can decide.”

The out-going first minister came back at the Scottish Labour leader stating he was proud of his government and he had not "heard a single positive idea" from Labour during his tenure in the top job.

Mr Yousaf said: "“What I have heard is the deafening sound of principle after principle being thrown out of Anas Sarwar’s window. U-turning on the two child cap, U-turning on the devolution of employment law, U-turning on the devolution of drug law, U-turning on his support for Waspi women.

“The true vote of no confidence that the people of Scotland really need, and they deserve, is a vote of no confidence in this failing, miserable union that is holding Scotland back and inflicting damage on the people and the economy of this country.”

He said the pro-UK parties, in their “cosy Westminster alliance”, are “terrified of such a vote”.

The final nail in the coffin for the no confidence vote actually came from the recently sacked Green co-leader Patrick Harvie.

He stated that the "proposal portrays the true motives of others: chaos for the sake of chaos,” and that those hadn't considered the ramifications for voters if it had passed.

And, while the beleaguered SNP survived the no confidence vote, their win wasn't without its critics. Opposition parties used the vote as an opportunity to take aim at those tipped to be Scotland's next first minister.

Mr Sarwar pointed to reports suggesting Kate Forbes could struggle to appoint ministers and described John Swinney as “the finance secretary that broke the public finances and the worst education secretary in the history of the Scottish parliament”.

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross – who was chided by the presiding officer for calling Mr Swinney “honest John” – said: “It looks like Nicola Sturgeon’s health secretary will either be replaced by Nicola Sturgeon’s deputy or Nicola Sturgeon’s finance secretary.

“What does this say about the current Scottish government? Each of the individuals on the frontbench today, hand-picked by Humza Yousaf to run departments of this government, have ruled themselves out.

“They don’t want to do it. Never mind the opposition having no confidence in this government, it seems none of the government ministers have confidence in themselves.”

Mr Ross also added that Kate Forbes was "an even more radical nationalist" than Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf.

The frontrunners, he said, represent “continuity”.

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