Scottish Labour to press on with vote to unseat the Scottish Government
Meanwhile, Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross said the job to oust Humza Yousaf was done as he withdrew the motion against him.
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Your support makes all the difference.Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said his party will push ahead with a motion of no confidence in the Government as a “point of principle”.
A similar vote led by the Tories against Humza Yousaf has been cancelled after the First Minister announced his intention to resign.
If the Labour vote was successful, all Scottish Ministers would be compelled to stand down, with parliament given 28 days to appoint a new First Minister – failing which, a snap election would be called.
The Tories and Liberal Democrats back Labour’s motion, but the Greens do not and without their support Labour will not achieve the votes required.
However, speaking to the PA news agency on Tuesday, Mr Sarwar said he wanted to use the motion to highlight the need for a Holyrood election following the turmoil in the SNP.
He said the “genie was out of the bottle” for the SNP, adding: “I think this is a dysfunctional, chaotic, divided political party.”
Mr Sarwar said his party would hold the debate over the Scottish Government’s future as early as this week if the parliamentary bureau authorised it.
The bureau is set to meet later on Tuesday to decide the week’s Holyrood business, with Mr Sarwar stating his party could look to delay the tabling of the motion if the bureau does not select it immediately.
Arguing the Government was “incompetent” and could not be saved by a new leader, he said: “We will not be withdrawing the motion.
“Depending on the timing, we are willing to perhaps look at delaying the tabling and debate of the motion.
“The bureau may well decide that we should do it this week and if they do we’ll push ahead.
“I think the Greens and the SNP obviously have already made it clear they would not support such a motion but the principle of that motion still stands.
“I have no confidence in this SNP Government.”
We will not be withdrawing the motion
He said pressing on with the motion of no confidence despite it being unlikely to pass parliament was a “point of principle”.
Mr Sarwar also said the decision on Scotland’s new political leader should be put to the public.
He said: “We also want to highlight the democratic deficit as they themselves described it when they were talking about Westminster and the Conservatives.
Mr Sarwar said he was “desperate” for a Scottish election alongside a Westminster one, which will be held later this year, adding his party “were ready for elections”.
Meanwhile, Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross declared “job done” as he announced the intention to withdraw its motion of no confidence in Mr Yousaf.
Instead, he said Holyrood should hear from the Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC on the Post Office Horizon scandal during the time provisionally set aside for their motion on Wednesday.
He said: “I’m delighted that the Scottish Conservative motion of no confidence in Humza Yousaf achieved its purpose by forcing him to resign.
“While, on a personal level, I wish him well for the future, he was a disaster as First Minister and it’s in Scotland’s interests that he goes.
“The next goal for my party is to see off this feuding, failing SNP government and switch the focus away from their independence obsession and on to the public’s real priorities – such as growing the economy and improving Scotland’s ailing public services.
“As it’s job done in terms of Humza Yousaf, there’s no longer any need for us to press ahead with a debate on our no-confidence motion.”