Humza Yousaf made the right call in dumping the Greens but still looks weak

Humza Yousaf had no choice in the end in dumping the Scottish Greens from Government.

By agreeing to a members’ vote on the Bute House Agreement next month, the Greens turned the Government into a laughing stock.

The next four weeks would have been dominated by the demands of their members.

SNP ministers would have been conscripted into keeping their mouths shut for fear of upsetting the junior partners in government.

Yousaf desperately needed momentum after a terrible first year - the Green vote threatened any revival.

It would also have undermined his party’s general election hopes by tying his hands on issues like oil and gas.

He hopes cutting the Greens loose - a decision he made after listening to advisers and SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn - will free him up to be his own man.

The problem is he was one of the biggest defenders of the Green pact.

Yousaf defeated Kate Forbes for the SNP leadership last year after trumpeting the virtues of the BHA.

He also said in recent days that he hoped the cooperation agreement would continue.

Yousaf believes the decision will be a sign of strength, but the risk is voters will see him as a flip flopper.

He will also find it very difficult to win majority support for legislation, including the annual Budget.

Former Tory Chancellor Norman Lamont once said of John Major that was in “office but not in power”.

The same can be said of Yousaf.

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