UK

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailThe Scottish government coalition has collapsed after SNP leader Humza Yousaf ended the so-called Bute House Agreement underpinning it.The decision came after first minister Mr Yousaf called an emergency meeting of the Scottish cabinet to address growing tensions between the Scottish Greens and the SNP.Under the Bute House Agreement, the Greens had two MSPs acting as junior ministers in Mr Yousaf’s government.Humza Yousaf (Jane Barlow/PA)But he is now believed to have removed Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater from the government, and the SNP is set to act as a minority government going forward.The Greens were angered when the Scottish Net Zero Secretary Mairi McAllan announced last week the Scottish Government was to ditch a key climate change target.That, combined with the decision to pause the use of puberty blockers for new patients attending the only Scottish gender identity clinic for children in Glasgow, resulted in the Greens saying last week that they would have a vote on the future of the powersharing deal.Scottish Green co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater became ministers at Holyrood as a result of the Bute House Agreement (Lesley Martin/PA)That vote is expected to take place later on in May – the SNP has now ended the Bute House Agreement. The Scottish Conservatives will lodge a motion for a vote of no confidence in Mr Yousaf. Leader Douglas Ross told MSPs at first minister’s Questions that his party had said from the start that the Bute House powersharing agreement between the SNP and the Greens was a “coalition of chaos” and that it had now “ended in chaos”.He said: “I can confirm today that on behalf of the Scottish Conservatives I am lodging a vote of no confidence in Humza Yousaf.”Mr Yousaf said at a press conference that governing as a minority would be “tough”, but that the SNP has done so for the majority of its time in power.He promised to continue working with MSPs from across the chamber, and said he has shown “a willingness to work” across the political divide as a minister for several years.He said: “The challenges of yesterday are not necessarily the challenges of tomorrow. And the SNP needs the flexibility to ensure that we move Scotland forward.“As such, I am clear that today marks a new beginning for the government.“I have a clear policy agenda that I wish to take forward… I am working tirelessly to build a strong sustainable economy, which works for everyone to strengthen our NHS and other public services.”He was quizzed about the statement two days ago that he valued the Bute House Agreement and hoped for it to continue.Mr Yousaf said: “I stand by what I have said. I value the Bute House Agreement and what it has achieved, no ifs, buts and maybes.“What this shows is leadership, what it shows is me having the ability to demonstrate leadership.“I will demonstrate what that means in the coming days and weeks. I think it was the right thing to have done, the Bute House Agreement has served its purpose and time for the SNP to navigate the rest of the parliamentary term as a minority government, something we have done very successfully for a number of years.”He said the Bute House Agreement had come to a “natural conclusion”.The deal, which was signed in 2021 and is named after the official residence of the Scottish First Minister in Edinburgh, brought the Green Party into government for the first time anywhere in the UK.It gave the SNP a majority at Holyrood when the votes of its MSPs were combined with those of the seven Greens members, and also made Greens co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater junior ministers in the Scottish Government.Without it the SNP will need to operate as a minority administration at Holyrood, holding 63 of the parliament’s 63 seats. The Scottish Tories hold 31 seats, Labour have 22, the Scottish Greens hold 7 and the Liberal Democrats have 4. The collapse comes at an increasingly challenging time for the SNP, with former chief executive Peter Murrell, ex-first minister Nicola Sturgeon’s husband, having been charged in connection with the embezzlement of SNP funds. Police Scotland confirmed this month that Mr Murrell, who served as the party’s chief executive for 22 years, had been arrested and charged over the investigation. Ms Sturgeon was arrested two months after her husband was first arrested in April last year, while former party treasurer Colin Beattie was also arrested last year. Both were released without charge, pending further investigation.Ahead of the coalition’s collapse, high-profile figures in the SNP, such as former leadership candidate Kate Forbes and party stalwart Fergus Ewing, have previously called for the deal to be ended.Scottish Green co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater were seen to walk out of Bute House before 8.30am.Their party said last week it would hold a vote on the future of the Bute House Agreement in which the Greens were junior partners to the SNP in government.Ms Slater accused the SNP of “selling out future generations” by walking away from the Bute House Agreement.Confirming the end of the cooperation agreement she said: “This is an act of political cowardice by the SNP, who are selling out future generations to appease the most reactionary forces in the country.”They have broken the bonds of trust with members of both parties who have twice chosen the co-operation agreement and climate action over chaos, culture wars and division. They have betrayed the electorate.”And by ending the agreement in such a weak and thoroughly hopeless way, Humza Yousaf has signalled that when it comes to political cooperation, he can no longer be trusted.”In just a few weeks time our own members were to have a democratic say on endorsing the co-operation agreement.”She also called on SNP members who care about the climate, trans rights and independence to switch to the Scottish Greens. Scottish Tory chairman Craig Hoy said the scrapping of the Bute House Agreement highlights how “inept” Mr Humza Yousaf is. Mr Hoy said: “The collapse of this toxic coalition is an utter humiliation for Humza Yousaf, who hailed it as ‘worth its weight in gold’ and continued to back it to the hilt right until the end.“The First Minister’s judgment is so poor that he couldn’t see what a malign influence the anti-growth Greens have been in government and his authority so weak that he was bounced into this U-turn by his own MSPs.“It beggars belief that the Greens were invited into government in the first place – but even more astonishing that Humza Yousaf allowed them to call the shots on issues like abandoning oil and gas, further delays to dualling the A9 and A96, devastating fishing curbs and gender ideology.“Humza Yousaf’s year as SNP leader has been a disastrous mix of scandals, infighting and policy U-turns. The collapse of the powersharing pact he staked his reputation on is not just humiliating, it highlights once again how inept and out of his depth he is.” More

Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UKSign up to our Brexit email for the latest insightShifting generational attitudes towards the EU could result in another referendum on British membership by the year 2040, polling expert professor John Curtice has predicted.Prof Curtice said the timescale would depend on “uncertain politics” and how a potential future Labour government approaches relations with the EU.He suggested the nation’s feelings toward the 27-member bloc would change as younger people in the UK become eligible to vote while older citizens, who voted overwhelmingly for Brexit, drop off the electoral register.“If you look so far at what’s happened to attitudes, and if you look at the age profile of attitudes towards Brexit, you can see why”, Prof Curtice told a UK in a Chaging Europe event on Wednesday.“A lot will also happen about – how does our relationship with the EU evolve, to what extent does the next Labour government soften it or not?”He added: “One of the things to realize is the Labour party is going to get elected by an electorate which is three-quarters anti-Brexit … Labour’s vote is almost as anti-Brexit as it was back in 2019.”Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, has ruled out rejoining the EU if his party wins the next general election, which must take place by January 2025 at the latest.He has indicated his intention to improve relations with Brussels and to negotiate a better trade deal with the bloc to ease friction at the border.Professor Curtice speaks at a UK in a Changing Europe event More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailLabour’s shadow transport secretary has failed to rule out that fares could become more expensive under Labour’s plans to nationalise the railways within five years.Louise Haigh repeatedly dodged questions on whether ticket prices could rise, saying there were no “plans” for increases.In an interview with the BBC’s Today programme Ms Haigh said she could not promise to lower fares. Asked if fares could go up, Ms Haigh said they would be “simpler”, and she could not say which journeys would be cheaper. Pressed again, she said: “We have absolutely no plans to make them more expensive”. Her plans would allow ministers to make “significant savings” which would allow them to make fares “more affordable” she said. Under Labour’s plans for the “biggest overhaul to our railways in a generation” it would transfer rail networks to public ownership within its first term in office. This would see existing private contracts taken into a new body, Great British Railways, as they expire. Labour says the plans would nationalise the network “without the taxpayer paying a penny in compensation costs”. Under the reforms Great British Railways would be responsible for rail infrastructure and awarding contracts to operate trains.But the body would be led by rail experts rather than ministers and civil servants in Whitehall. Labour also plans to establish a watchdog, the Passenger Standards Authority, to hold GBR to account. Shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh (Jonathan Brady/PA) More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailSuspended MP Kate Osamor is being given the Labour whip back within days, The Independent has been told.Three months after being suspended over a Holocaust Memorial Day post suggesting the Israeli action in Gaza is genocide, the Edmonton MP will be welcomed back into the Labour fold.Ms Osamor, who was a shadow minister under Jeremy Corbyn, was placed under investigation over the post, which likened Israel’s war in Gaza to the Holocaust, as well as genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda and Bosnia.Kate Osamor likened Israel’s war in Gaza to the Holocaust, as well as genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda and Bosnia More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailLabour will pledge to renationalise the railways if elected, in what the party will call the “biggest overhaul to our railways in a generation.”A Labour government would expect to transfer rail networks to public ownership within its first term by folding existing private passenger rail contracts into a new body as they expire, shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh will say at a launch event on Thursday.The plan will nationalise the network “without the taxpayer paying a penny in compensation costs”, the party will say.The Government’s own proposals for rail reform, published in a draft Bill in February, include the creation of a new public sector body named Great British Railways (GBR) to hold responsibility for rail infrastructure and awarding contracts to operate trains.But a Labour government would create a “unified, publicly owned, accountable and arm’s length” version of GBR led by rail experts rather than Whitehall, Ms Haigh will say.Labour also plans to establish a watchdog, the Passenger Standards Authority, to hold GBR to account.(left to right) Richard Parker, Labour’s West Midlands mayoral candidate, shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh, and deputy party leader Angela Rayner More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailThe spaceport at the northern-most tip of the UK has received its range control licence from the regulator as it prepares for its first launch this year.SaxaVord Spaceport on Unst has been given permission by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to clear and control the “downrange” zone during launches.It means the CAA is confident the spaceport can keep maritime and aviation traffic secure when rockets blast off from the site on the Shetland Islands.The granting of the range licence comes after SaxaVord was granted its spaceport licence in December, which verified the privately-owned site meets the safety and environmental requirements for vertical space launches.The next part of the regulatory process will be a launch operator licence for the companies wishing to use the spaceport.Colin Macleod, head of space regulation at the CAA, said: “SaxaVord’s range licence is vital to protecting public safety during launches.“Our work is enabling the UK’s expanding space sector and encouraging safety, sustainability and security of space activity.”German company Rocket Factory Augsburg hopes to be the first to launch satellites into space from Unst later this year, though a number of organisations have expressed interest in using the site.Ultimately, they wish to build up the frequency of their launches to around one per month.Frank Strang, chief executive of SaxaVord Spaceport, said: “We are delighted to have been granted our range licence by the Civil Aviation Authority and had it approved by the Secretary of State for Transport, following on from our spaceport licence in December last year.“Both awards are historic milestones for ourselves in Shetland and the development of the UK space sector in its entirety.“This is a vital component in our preparations for launch. Satisfying such a crucial piece of the regulatory process affords everyone the comfort that we will always operate in a safe and proper manner under the watchful eye of the regulator.“As Western Europe’s only fully licensed vertical launch spaceport, we are now preparing to make more space history with the beginning of orbital launch operations well under way and first launch expected to be in Q3 of this year.”The CAA says the size of the clearance zones will depend on the type of rocket being used, with larger areas being needed for early launches due to the higher risk of failure.Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “Today’s announcement is an important next step for SaxaVord as it prepares for the first commercial vertical space launch in the United Kingdom.“It is vital that launches are safe for everyone involved, which is what this range licence will ensure – enabling SaxaVord to continue supporting skilled UK jobs and help grow the economy.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak has challenged Britain’s European allies to meet his £75bn pledge to increase defence spending as US president Joe Biden signed a $61bn package of aid for Ukraine. The prime minister warned the world is “more dangerous now than at any moment since the Cold War” and faces “an axis of authoritarian states”. He also defended what he called “entirely reasonable” calls from US counterparts for greater European defence spending. His words will be seen as a message to Donald Trump not to quit Nato should he win the US election later this year. Mr Trump has previously said the US would remain in the defence alliance as long as European countries “play fair” and do not “take advantage” of support from America, which spends more on defence. But UK defence secretary Grant Shapps risked a diplomatic incident over the months of political wrangling in Congress that delayed Mr Biden’s aid package for Ukraine. He said it reminded him of “the old maxim of Winston Churchill, that the United States can always be relied on to do the right thing, once they have exhausted all other options”.Prime minister Rishi Sunak and Germany’s chancellor Olaf Scholz More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailThe boss of Ryanair has defiantly announced that he would ‘happily’ fly asylum seekers to Rwanda under Rishi Sunak’s deportation plans. Michael O’Leary said the UK government had not approached his budget airline to ask them to carry out the flights, designed to give thousands a one-way ticket to the African country. But he suggested he would have no qualms about helping the prime minister deliver his much-criticised policy, which the United Nations warned earlier this week would breach the refugee convention. “If it was the winter schedule and we had spare aircraft sitting around and if the government were looking for additional deportation flights or any other flights, we would happily quote for the business,” Mr O’Leary said in an interview with Bloomberg. Mr Sunak has vowed to push ahead with flights, despite calls from the United Nations and other for him to think again. The government is already braced for a series of court challenges on the policy. Ministers insist they have booked planes and an airfield but will not reveal details of either, amid fears they could come under pressure from protesters. Mr Sunak has promised “multiple flights a month” to Rwanda, but ministers concede that the number of people sent to Kigali will be small at first, with chartered aircraft expected to be used.The PM has come under fire for pushing through a bill that designates Rwanda a safe country despite a damning ruling from the Supreme Court late last year that it was not a safe place to send refugees.He faced intense pressure to rethink the policy after five people, including a young girl, died trying to cross the channel just hours after it cleared its final parliamentary hurdle. The UN was among leading voices urging the UK government to reconsider, amid warnings the plan would fall to act as a deterrent to stop desperate asylum seekers trying to come to the UK in small boats.Hours after the tragedy off the coast of northern France on Tuesday morning asylum seekers were seen in small boats attempting to reach British beaches. More