Achi news desk-
The debate is expected on Wednesday.
Overnight reports suggested that the First Minister was ‘considering his position’ after a turbulent day on Thursday.
At a press conference at Bute House on Thursday morning he ended the Scottish Government’s power sharing arrangement with the Scottish Greens.
The Scottish Conservatives then announced that they would present a motion of no confidence in the Prime Minister, with a vote expected next Wednesday.
When asked by The Herald if the Prime Minister was considering his position, a source close to Mr Yousaf replied that he was “not resigning.”
When pressed to clarify whether it was also true that he would not resign before the vote, the source added: “Absolutely.”
They added that there was a chance that the Prime Minister would win the vote.
Speaking earlier, the leader of the SNP in Westminster, Stephen Flynn, has said that Mr Yousaf is going to “come out to fight” as he faces the vote.
When asked by BBC Radio 4’s Today program whether it was a mistake to end the power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens, the SNP leader in Westminster said: “I firmly believe that it was the right thing to do done, because the First Minister wanted to reset the focus of the Scottish Government on the priorities of the people of Scotland.”
He said Mr Yousaf was “contemplative” but would “come out to fight”.
Mr Flynn defended the First Minister as “a man of profound integrity”, saying that he expected there to be talks with the Scottish Green Party.
The Aberdeen South MP told the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland that he had spoken to Mr Yousaf on Thursday evening, adding: “Humza Yousaf is a man of deep integrity. I had a chat with Humza last night after our two children were given to the bed
“He was reflective, but it was also very clear to me that he was going to come out fighting because he believed in what he was saying. He believes in delivering for the people of Scotland. He’ n believe in creating jobs and opportunities for the next generation.” ”
Mr Flynn added: “Quite simply, I would say to politicians from across the political spectrum that now is the time for cool heads, quiet words, to reflect and think about the consequences of their actions.”
On Thursday afternoon, the Scottish Greens said they would support the motion of no confidence and vote to remove Yousaf.
If all Conservative, Labor and Liberal Democrat MPs joined the Greens to vote against Mr Yousaf it would give them 64 votes to the SNP’s 63.
The result would then depend on which way Alba Party MP Ash Regan decided to vote. If the tie vote is 64, President Alison Johnstone would support the side that kept the current position under a parliamentary convention. In this case he would support the Prime Minister.
However, it is possible that due to illness not all members of the opposition will vote, a situation that could enable Mr Yousaf to survive as Prime Minister even if Ms Regan does not support him.
Ms Regan, who ran for the SNP leadership against Mr Yousaf last year, later left the party over its policies on gender recognition reforms and an independence strategy.
She has written to the Prime Minister with a series of demands in exchange for her support in the vote, which is expected next Wednesday.
The Scottish Conservatives tabled the motion of no confidence after Mr Yousaf announced on Thursday morning that he had ended the Bute House Agreement, which had brought the Scottish Greens into power and given his government a majority at Holyrood.
In a press conference at Bute House on Thursday morning he said that the termination of the agreement represented a “new beginning” for his government.
