Humza Yousaf will talk to Alex Salmond's party to secure explosive deal

HumzaYousaf will talk to Alex Salmond’s Alba party after his former SNP leadership rival Ash Regan indicated she is willing to give him her crucial vote to save his political career.

The two sides are set to meet as Yousaf fights to win two crunch no confidence votes in his leadership and his government expected at Holyrood this week.

The Sunday Mail can reveal that Alba MSP Regan is willing to back the First Minister in exchange for an end to Sturgeon-era policies.

And Yousaf’s team has indicated they are willing to negotiate with Regan on women’s rights, independence and the economy for her support.

We can reveal how:

• Back channels have been opened between Alba and the SNP to discuss the “shape of a potential deal”.

• Regan has said she could be willing to support Yousaf in order to keep the Greens out of power.

• Agreement will be difficult but is within reach despite high levels of personal animosity between Yousaf and Regan.

All other opposition parties appear to have ruled out supporting the First Minister leaving Regan’s support crucial to avoid an SNP melt-down.

Votes of no confidence in both Yousaf as First Minister and the Scottish Government are expected to be held within days at Holyrood.

Regan told the Sunday Mail: “If Humza is ousted, he may be replaced by a less able leader who will go back into power with the Greens and have an even stronger hand to pursue their extremist agenda.

“I am aware that I could be holding the vote that decides Humza Yousaf’s future but I will only use it in the way that will be best for Scotland. However, supporting Humza will no doubt be of a high cost to me.”

She said the Scottish Government must connect on core values, Scottish independence, safeguard the rights of women and girls, and return to govern competently.

She added: “Many would like to see an end to his chaotic leadership and doubts remain over whether he has the political skills required to run a successful minority government.

“The Green Party’s malign influence over these last three years damaged confidence in the government and I welcome their consignment to the back benches.”

A senior SNP source said: “It is right that the First Minister speaks with Ash because respectful dialogue with all of the opposition groups is a crucial part of making minority government work.

“But Ash has to think very carefully about the confidence vote this week, as she will be doing. As a nationalist who claims to be even more committed to independence than the SNP and who detests the Greens how could she credibly vote not just with the parties of Better Together but also join hands with Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater.”

The First Minister told the Sunday Mail: “What I want to see – and what I think the people of Scotland want to see – is greater cooperation right across the chamber.

“Working people, businesses and households across Scotland are crying out for support right now. In a parliament where no party has a majority, it is incumbent on all of us to step up to the plate and ensure that we put the people of Scotland first.

“I’ve made my choice – I choose the national interest. And it’s time for all parties to do the same.”

The extraordinary crisis was triggered after Yousaf ended the Bute House agreement with the Green Party and sacked leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater from their ministerial jobs.

But their is little love lost between Yousaf and Regan. The First Minister called Regan’s defection to Alba as “no great loss” after she quit in protest at the SNP’s gender reform policies. She is said to hold him in equal contempt.

Regan has a high profile supporter in Harry Potter author JK Rowing who posted “They say karma’s a bitch but I hear she is a terf.” after it emerged the First Minister’s job could be in her hands.

Sources on Regan’s side said: “There is a deal to be done and a deal is possible but that is going to require concessions. There is already back channels open and both sides are constructively talking about the shape of an agreement.”

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross, who lodged the motion of no confidence in Yousaf, has made it clear he wants to bring down the First Minister after Yousaf wrote to him.

He said: “The only letter Humza Yousaf should be writing is one offering his resignation.”

Scottish Labour’s Anas Sarwar, who has lodged a motion of no confidence in the government has insisted: “Humza Yousaf is out of time.”

The SNP have 63 MSPs in the 129-seat Scottish Parliament and now have to rule as a minority government.

If the Greens vote with Labour, the Tories and the Scottish Liberal Democrats, Yousaf would require the support of Regan to survive the no-confidence votes.

The Greens are now suggesting they would only consider propping up the SNP if the leadership changes.

SNP sources last night insisted they were confident that all their own MSPs were united behind Humza for now.

But another senior figure said: “We want to get him through this but there is obviously also high level discussions about what happens next if Humza can’t be saved. If he is forced to resign a replacement First Minister needs to be chosen within 28 days or we face an election.

“The only realistic deal in that scenario is a new leader who is acceptable to the Greens.

“Kate Forbes has lots of supporters but she is completely unacceptable to the Greens and so there has been talk of John Swinney or Neil Gray stepping in.

“Swinney is widely respected within government and is liked and respected by the Greens so could be the ideal candidate despite the fact he spoke eloquently in support of Yousaf at the party’s group meeting.”

On Saturday Yousaf’s other former leadership rival Kate Forbes urged colleagues to back him.

She came second in the race with Regan as third place to succeed Nicola Sturgeon but her views on abortion and same sex marriage have been seen to be controversial.

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