'National interest': Stephen Flynn reacts as SNP-Green deal put to an end

STEPHEN Flynn, the SNP’s leader at Westminster, has spoken out after the Bute House  Agreement with the Scottish Greens was ended.

First Minister Humza Yousaf fired Green co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater from government on Thursday morning, meaning the SNP now run a minority Scottish Government.

Reacting to the news on social media, Flynn suggested that removing the Greens from government was in the “national interest”.

He also urged people to join the SNP.

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Flynn wrote: “The First Minister has shown leadership in the national interest.

“As the party for all of Scotland we work to deliver jobs and economic growth, protect the future of our NHS and provide support in a cost of living crisis. Join the journey.”

Flynn’s post was “liked” by Owen Thompson, the SNP’s chief whip at Westminster, indicating his support.

The Scotsman reported one anonymous SNP MP as claiming Yousaf had been “bounced into” ending the deal with the Greens by Flynn.

Responding to the news that the Bute House Agreement had ended, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s official spokesperson claimed the Tories would "continue to obviously promote a constructive approach" to working with the SNP.

READER POLL: Is scrapping the Bute House Agreement the right decision?

However, Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross has said he will lodge a motion of no confidence in the First Minister.

Sunak's spokesperson said: “For our part, the Prime Minister has previously been clear from the off with the new Scottish Government that we will continue to obviously promote a constructive approach with them, with the single aim of jointly delivering for people across the UK and in Scotland.

“As we urged the First Minister when he came into office, there was and is a chance for the Scottish Government to turn their full focus to tackling the real issues that matter to people and their families.

“It is the Prime Minister’s view that people expect both the Scottish Government and the UK Government to have a relentless focus on growing the economy, delivering more jobs and opportunity, as well as enhancing our energy security, and not be distracted by constitutional issues.

“We hope today’s developments do not further distract the Scottish Government and that they take this further opportunity to go back to focusing on the challenges that families and households in Scotland face.”

Yousaf is now leading a minority government, and if all the opposition parties unite it is possible he could lose the no-confidence vote which the Tories are set to force, and Labour have agreed to back.

His most likely allies are the Greens, but their support is in doubt after an icy challenge from co-leader Patrick Harvie at FMQs on Thursday afternoon.