Humza Yousaf, assailed on many fronts, struggles to move on from Sturgeon era

Good morning from Edinburgh. The last time I had the privilege of standing in for Stephen, it turned out to be so exciting that the newsletter went out twice that day (the first one was unfortunately timed, as you might recall.) And Scottish politics did not become any more predictable in the period immediately after the shock announcement of Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation as Scotland’s first minister. 

More than two months after the arrest of the Scottish National party’s former chief executive (who was released pending further investigation), the police probe into the SNP’s finances remains “live”. So I will refrain from looking into my crystal ball and attempting to predict how long the relative calm that has prevailed in recent weeks will last.

Tomorrow my colleague Miranda Green, deputy opinion editor, will be next in line to cover Stephen, who is back on Monday.

Yousaf’s not so quiet 10 weeks

Humza Yousaf, 10 weeks into his role as Sturgeon’s successor, would find it amusing to hear that not having colleagues get arrested is now what qualifies for calm in Scottish politics. It is a sign of how quickly the terrain has changed.

On Monday, the first minister attended an event organised by local lobby group the Scottish Council for Development and Industry, where he was keen to speak about improved relations and co-operation with businesses.

Just like an “anti-poverty” summit he addressed last month, it was the type of setting he particularly relishes; he can ignore the political noise and talk about his three “defining missions” — reducing child poverty, improving public services and making Scotland more prosperous.

Unfortunately for Yousaf, the very first question from a journalist indicated how he is not in control of events, by forcing him to address the latest spat with the UK government. That is, the fight over Holyrood’s planned deposit return scheme and the critical obstacle put in its path by Westminster’s insistence that it excludes glass.

The UK government has argued that this is necessary to ensure Scotland’s recycling scheme is compatible with others planned for the rest of the UK and reduce the risk of trade barriers for glass in different parts of Britain. 

Yousaf told delegates that he was annoyed as well as upset that Scotland’s recycling initiative — which was set to go live in March 2024 — had caused another clash with London. That may have come as a surprise to opponents of the SNP government, who accuse Yousaf and his ministers of needlessly picking fights with London as a way to further their independence agenda.

This has probably not been the case in recent months as the sources of disagreement with London, such as Scotland’s attempted reforms to make it easier for trans people to attain legal recognition of their gender, have been issues where the Scottish government hasn’t necessarily had public opinion on its side. Surveys have shown that Westminster’s decision to block that legislation, a move Yousaf is challenging in court, has broad public support in Scotland, including from a significant minority of SNP supporters. 

While Yousaf and Lorna Slater, the circular economy minister, would like to focus on Westminster’s role in the controversy, the deposit return scheme has also pitted the government against some big players in the retail, drinks and hospitality sectors.

This week, I wrote about another controversy that could be a source of unwanted distraction for Yousaf. His government’s plan to test juryless rape trials as a way to tackle the low conviction rate has ignited a backlash from the legal establishment, again an influential section of Scottish society. It is another dispute that Yousaf can do without, as he seeks to change the conversation and get on with the business of governing and achieving results.

First activist

The seeds of Sturgeon’s eventual departure may be traced back to the SNP’s announcement in December that it would hold a special conference in March this year to debate its independence strategy, after the Supreme Court decided she did not have the legal authority to hold a referendum without London’s agreement. 

It was a clear sign that her preferred option of using the next UK general election as a “de facto” referendum had faced fierce internal opposition that weakened her grip on the party. The event was cancelled after she resigned. Later in June, party members will be heading off to Dundee for a replacement conference where they will try to map out a way to secure a legally binding referendum. Wisely, Yousaf hasn’t declared his preferred option yet.

During his campaign for the SNP leadership, Yousaf pledged that he would be the party’s “first activist” in making the independence case to voters. With no referendum in sight in the foreseeable future, the conference may well provide ammunition to opponents who see it as a waste of time and more evidence that the SNP is out of touch with people’s “real priorities”. 

That may soon be put to the electoral test after MPs in Westminster voted yesterday for a 30-day suspension for former SNP MP Margaret Ferrier over breaking Covid-19 rules. This could lead to a by-election if enough constituents in her Rutherglen and Hamilton West seat back a recall petition, which would present an early challenge for Yousaf and an opportunity for Labour to show that its resurgence in Scotland is for real.

Now try this

One of my favourite things to do in Edinburgh is to visit the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, which is worth the trip just for its wonderful sculpture garden alone. 

A couple of Sundays ago, I went to see a fascinating exhibition by Barbadian-Scottish artist Alberta Whittle, create dangerously.

While the paintings, sculptures and films deal honestly and uncompromisingly with the history and lingering effects of colonialism, slavery and racism, Whittle does it in a generous and gentle manner. As someone who spent their university years listening to Rage Against the Machine, I was intrigued by the emphasis on self care and compassion.

As we get deeper into summer, there will be no shortage of art to enjoy in Scotland. While the Edinburgh festivals tend to get most of the limelight, the Borders Book Festival further south is back next week for its 20th edition. 

On Thursday (June 15), the FT’s chief economics commentator, Martin Wolf, will be on stage discussing his defining account of the crisis of democratic capitalism. Sir John Curtice, one of Scotland’s leading pollsters, will also have interesting things to say about the state of British politics later that evening. The FT’s consumer editor, Claer Barrett, will also be there on the weekend, discussing her book, What they don’t teach you about money.

Top stories today

• The Starmer Project | The FT’s big read looks at how Keir Starmer has consolidated control by taking over Labour party machinery and sidelining the left as he bids for power. This is the second instalment in a series looking at the Labour leader’s plans ahead of an election expected next year (here’s part one).

• Kill the lights | The UK cabinet office will tell central government departments to remove all surveillance equipment made by Chinese companies including Dahua and Hikvision from sensitive sites in an attempt to limit potential intelligence-gathering by Beijing.

• CBI crunch vote | The CBI business lobby group won a vote of confidence yesterday following allegations of wrongdoing, but it failed to secure a firm pledge from ministers to immediately re-engage with the organisation.

• ‘Failure to comply’ | The UK breached its obligations under the post-Brexit withdrawal agreement with the EU by leaving many thousands of EU citizens awaiting decisions on their residency without the necessary interim papers to uphold their basic rights, according to the watchdog for citizens’ interests.

• Port in court | One of the UK’s biggest ports has accused Ben Houchen, Tees Valley’s high-profile Tory mayor, of wasting public money on protracted legal action against it, and issuing “inaccurate” statements about the reasons for the case.