Achi news desk-
But even if he narrowly survives the move to sack him, his position in office and as leader of the SNP has been severely weakened.
Exactly two days ago, Mr Yousaf was singing the praises of the Bute House Agreement and saying that there was no “need” or “want” for SNP members to have another vote on the matter.
Despite repeated warnings from some within the SNP that the agreement could be nearing the end of its life, he still gave it his full support.
On Tuesday, he said: “I hope that the cooperation agreement will continue and I hope that Green members will also see the benefit of that cooperation.”
The fact that he ended the deal today after supporting it so strongly was clearly a huge political U-turn and downward spiral.
It makes him look rather swayed by events and pushed to make such a vital decision rather than taking advantage of the initiative – which would have been the case if he had pulled out of the agreement much earlier.
A cannier leader could have pulled out of the Bute House Agreement at the weekend after Greens fury; an even crazier one the announcement that the Scottish Government wants to drop its target to reduce carbon emissions by 75% by 2030.
Didn’t he pause to consider before last Thursday’s decision by his Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero Mairi McAllan that such an announcement would potentially topple the Bute House Agreement?
Did he perhaps trust too much reassurance from Green MEPs that all would be well if new measures were put in place to “accelerate” climate action?
Now Mr Yousaf faces a motion of no confidence within days.
If he did not win the vote, it would be incredibly difficult for him to survive as Prime Minister, although the parliamentary rules say what steps he takes following such a result would be up to him.
For him to remain in office, defying the will of Members of Parliament, would be a statement that he is willing to ignore the wishes of parliament.
This is hardly a stance that befits a democratically elected leader.
At the time of writing the Tories, Labour, the Liberal Democrats are all going to support the motion of no confidence.
It remains to be seen how the Greens will vote.
My assessment given their response to the end of the Bute House Agreement is that they will be in no mood to come to Mr Yousaf’s rescue.
Alba MP Ash Regan – the former SNP minister who defeated Kate Forbes in last year’s leadership contest – has written to Mr Yousaf with a list of demands in return for her support.
And considering parliamentary arithmetic, her vote to support him could enable him to survive if all the SNP MLAs also continue to support him, as would be expected.
But even if he abandons the motion of confidence and fights on as Prime Minister next week his actions over the past few days have eroded his authority and raised new concerns about his leadership.
One senior official in the SNP told the Herald on Sunday last weekend that it was a matter of ‘when not’ Mr Yousaf would give up.
The events since then bring this development considerably closer.
