By Aysu Bicer
LONDON (AA) - Humza Yousaf resigned on Tuesday as Scotland's first minister, saying he was not willing to trade his principles to win a no-confidence vote.
The move came ahead of two forthcoming confidence votes, which were called by the opposition after Humza ended a power-sharing deal between his Scottish National Party (SNP) and the Scottish Greens last week. The Bute House agreement was brokered by Nicola Sturgeon in 2021.
The end of the cooperation agreement led opposition parties in the parliament to table two no-confidence votes - one targeting the first minister and another aimed at the SNP government.
Addressing journalists at his official residence, Yousaf said after a weekend of reflection, he had concluded that "repairing a relationship across the political divide can only be done with someone else at the helm."
"I have therefore informed the SNP's national secretary of my intention to stand down as party leader and ask that she commence a leadership contest as soon as possible,” he added.
"For a minority government to be able to govern effectively and efficiently, trust when working with the opposition is clearly fundamental," he said. "And while a route through this week's motion of no confidence was absolutely possible, I am not willing to treat my values and principles or do deals with whomever simply for retaining power."
Yousaf expressed a deep-seated commitment to his values over political expediency. "I cannot tell you what an honor it is being the first minister of the country I love, the country I'm raising my family in and the only country I will ever call home," he said. "People that looked like me were not in positions of political influence."
He said UK has a British Hindu prime minister, a Muslim mayor of London, a black Welsh first minister ... "... and for a little while longer a Scots Asian first minister of this country." He added the nation should all celebrate that multiculturalism.
Yousaf said he will be staying on as first minister until the SNP elects a new leader.