Politics latest: 'Job done' - no-confidence motion in Humza Yousaf withdrawn after resignation announced (2024)

With Humza Yousaf stepping down as Scotland's first minister and SNP leader, Scotland reporter Jenness Mitchell takes a look at some of the potential candidates that could throw their hat into the ring to take the top job.

Labour's shadow pensions minister Gill Furniss has stepped down "due to personal reasons," a party spokesperson has confirmed.

The MP for Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough, was appointed to the role in September last year.

The media industry "strengthens democracy" and "enriches society" by holding governments to account, Rishi Sunak has said.

The prime minister opened the Society of Editors 25th anniversary conference with a keynote speech in which he emphasised the importance of freedom of speech and a free press in the UK.

Mr Sunak said: "When the media holds governments accountable, exposes corruption, and gives new voices a platform, it strengthens democracy. It enriches society. It builds the habits of freedom."

He added: "I will say that politicians and the media will always clash, it's a law of nature, as much as night follows day.

"And I won't always like what you write, or the questions that you ask, I won't always agree with what you say, or the way that you represent the government. But that's okay."

He continued: "It's your job to hold us to account, and for all we might clash, I know how important your role is.

"So please keep doing what you're doing, constantly questioning, investigating and seeking the truth. Because as long as the British media thrives, so will British democracy."

There are "operational arrangements" between the UK and the Republic of Ireland but "not a legal obligation" to accept the return of asylum seekers, Rishi Sunak's spokesperson has said.

It comes amid a row over the number of asylum seekers crossing the border from Northern Ireland into Ireland.

The prime minister had said the increase showed his Rwanda plan was working as a deterrent.

His spokesperson added that "under those operational arrangements no asylum seekers have been returned to the UK. It’s up to the UK government who we do and do not accept into the country".

It comes after the Irish prime minister insisted the UK must respect an existing arrangement to take back asylum seekers (see 9.19am post).

Simon Harris told Sky News the UK must honour the agreement as a new Irish law is being drafted to ensure the UK is seen as a safe country for migrants despite Rishi Sunak's Rwanda plan.

"There is already an agreement in place between Ireland and Britain, what we're doing is giving legal clarity in relation to that agreement which will allow us to designate the UK as a safe country again," he said.

"It's also very important for people in Britain to understand that this is a two-way agreement. This is to ensure that refugees can be sent in both directions if their application is inadmissible."

The number of children living in temporary accommodation has reached a record high.

Some 145,800 children were in temporary accommodation as of the end of December last year, up a fifth on 20 years ago when records began.

The figure is up 15% from 126,340 on the same period in 2022, according to figures published by the Department forLevelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Homelessness charity Shelter warned a generation are having their lives "blighted by homelessness".

Chief executive Polly Neate said: "The government cannot stand idly by while a generation of children have their lives blighted by homelessness."

She said "decades of failure to build enough genuinely affordable social homes has left families struggling to cobble together extortionate sums every month to keep a roof over their heads".

She went on to say political parties must commit to "ending the housing emergency" and urged them all to pledge to build 90,000 social homes a year for 10 years, as well as to undertake an "overhaul of the Renters (Reform) Bill so that it delivers genuine safety and security for private renters".

The Scottish Conservatives are withdrawing their motion of no confidence in Humsa Yousaf, arguing they got the "job done" after the first minister announced his intention to resign.

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said: "I'm delighted that the Scottish Conservative motion of no confidence in Humza Yousaf achieved its purpose by forcing him to resign.

"While, on a personal level, I wish him well for the future, he was a disaster as first minister and it's in Scotland's interests that he goes.

"The next goal for my party is to see off this feuding, failing SNP government and switch the focus away from their independence obsession and on to the public's real priorities - such as growing the economy and improving Scotland's ailing public services.

"As it's job done in terms of Humza Yousaf, there's no longer any need for us to press ahead with a debate on our no-confidence motion."

By Connor Gillies, Scotland correspondent

A possible candidate to succeed Humza Yousaf has told Sky News the party needs to "come together" in the wake of the SNP leader's "dramatic" departure.

John Swinney is tipped to become the next first minister with current cabinet ministers throwing their weight behind his possible campaign.

Mr Swinney, a close ally of Nicola Sturgeon, said he is carefully considering his options.

Some SNP figures fear a coronation with no contest.

Kate Forbes, who ran last year and got almost 50% of the membership support, is also thinking of throwing her hat in the ring.

Sources close to her have suggested installing Mr Swinney would be tantamount to a "stitch-up".

Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf resigned yesterday in the face of two confidence votes after he dramatically brought the power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens to an end last week.

How did we get here?

The Bute House Agreement - signed back in 2021 and named after the first minister's official residence in Edinburgh - brought the Green Party into government for the first time in the UK.

It gave the SNP a majority at Holyrood when the votes of its MSPs were combined with those of the seven Green members, and also made Green co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater junior ministers.

Without it, the SNP would need to have operated as a minority administration at Holyrood.

What caused the relationship to sour?

There had been mounting tensions between the largest party at Holyrood and their junior partners in government.

The Greens were angered at the SNP-led administration's recent decision to ditch a key climate change target.

That, combined with the decision to pause the prescription of new puberty blockers to under-18s at Scotland's only gender clinic, resulted in the Greens announcing they would have a vote on the future of the power-sharing deal.

What brought things to a head?

Mr Yousaf decided to pull the plug on the agreement last Thursday - arguing it had "served its purpose" - prompting a major fallout with his former allies, who vowed to back a no-confidence motion in his leadership proposed by Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross.

Scottish Labour also submitted a motion of no confidence in the Scottish government as a whole.

In the face of the two votes, Mr Yousaf announced he would stand down yesterday, but said he would stay on to allow a successor to be chosen.

With a general election looming, what counts as gains and losses for the main parties in next week's locals?

Sky's election analyst Michael Thrasher tells us what to look out for:

By Daniel Dunford, senior data journalist

There might not be a general election just yet, but there are important votes that will define how the areas around us are run for the next four years.

See what's happening where you are here: