--- description: Humza Yousaf was due to face two votes of no confidence this week following the break down of his ruling coalition. title: Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf Resigns image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte8bc4a8a402ae710/698a561e9d83e832f9b9a054/humza-yousaf-snp.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Leadership](/tag/leadership/) ## Leadership Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Scotland's Leader Humza Yousaf Resigns  by [Armani Syed](/author/armani-syed/)  ## Armani Syed Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Syed was a reporter for TIME, based in the London bureau. Updated: Jan 19, 2026 12:16 PM CUTPublished: Apr 29, 2024 11:06 AM CUT  Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf speaks to the media during a visit to a housing development on April 26, 2024 in Dundee, Scotland. Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf speaks to the media during a visit to a housing development on April 26, 2024 in Dundee, Scotland.Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images  by [Armani Syed](/author/armani-syed/)  ## Armani Syed Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Syed was a reporter for TIME, based in the London bureau. Updated: Jan 19, 2026 12:16 PM CUTPublished: Apr 29, 2024 11:06 AM CUT Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf [resigned](https://www.itv.com/news/2024-04-29/humza-yousaf-resigns-as-scotlands-first-minister "undefined") on Monday ahead of a [vote of no confidence](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-scotland-68918348 "undefined") on Wednesday that appeared he would lose. His resignation comes little more than a year after he took up the post, becoming the first non-white and first Muslim leader of Scotland. **Read More**: [_Meet the New Face of Scotland_](https://time.com/collection/next-generation-leaders/6317249/humza-yousaf-leaders/ "undefined") “I cannot tell you what an honour 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,” Yousaf said from Bute House, the official residence of the First Minister. The 39-year-old leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) was facing votes of no confidence after ending the SNP’s power sharing agreement with the Scottish Greens last Thursday. Scotland’s [coalition government collapsed](https://www.politico.eu/article/scotland-coalition-government-collapse-snp-greens-humza-yousaf/ "undefined") following a bitter row over the Scottish government’s decision to abandon a major carbon emissions target. The Bute House Agreement saw the Scottish Greens brought into government for the first time in 2021\. Yousaf attracted growing criticism in Scotland and from politicians across the U.K. over his decision. “I think he showed very poor judgment to suddenly collapse a pro-independence majority government when we'd worked together really well for two and a half years, we'd achieved some great things,” Scottish Green Party co-leader Lorna Slater [told Sky News](https://news.sky.com/story/politics-latest-scotlands-first-minister-battling-to-save-job-and-why-have-politicians-lost-peoples-trust-12593360?postid=7601530#liveblog-body "undefined"). Yousaf replaced Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister last March in [a historic win](https://time.com/6266199/humza-yousaf-scotland-leadership-vote/ "undefined"). “People that looked like me were not in positions of political influence,” Yousaf said. The Scottish parliament will now have 28 days to find Yousaf’s successor through a majority vote among members of the Scottish Parliament. 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