Politics 2023: How the year just kept getting worse for Humza Yousaf and the SNP

It started with Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation….

The political year in 2023 has been dominated in Scotland by the SNP – but mostly not in a good way.

Whereas in previous years there have been electoral triumphs to celebrate and robust poll leads, this year has seen a series of unprecedented trials and tribulations for the party.

It started on February 15, when Nicola Sturgeon called a surprise press conference to announce she was stepping down as First Minister and SNP leader. After more than eight years in the job and the stress of leading the country through Covid, no-one could blame her for deciding she needed a change.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon leaves the press conference in Bute House on February 15, after announcing that she was standing down. Picture: Jane Barlow / PA.

But it was a massive loss for the party. She had been at the heart of the government ever since the SNP came to power in 2007 and had established a positive reputation for her straightforward and cautious approach during the pandemic.

She spoke of knowing it was the right time to go, even acknowledging that she had become a divisive figure who could end up holding the party back. But there appeared to have been little succession planning, other than her naming Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes as potential future leaders in an interview she gave.

Those two did indeed emerge as the main contenders for the post, joined by Edinburgh East MSP Ash Regan as a surprise outsider. But it became a fractious battle. Kate Forbes faced a fierce backlash over her membership of the Wee Frees but her strong showing despite that was testament to her recognised talents. Humza Yousaf was the continuity candidate and had the backing of the party establishment, while Ash Regan argued the case for a bolder approach to securing independence.

Mr Yousaf's victory did not come as a surprise. But he had no time to settle in before the next hammerblow for the party arrived. Just a week after he took over, the police arrested Nicola Sturgeon's husband Peter Murrell for questioning in connection with their long-running investigation into SNP finances - he was later released without charge. The same was to happen later to party treasurer Colin Beattie and Ms Sturgeon herself.

It was not just an unhappy start for Mr Yousaf, it was an ongoing disaster. Everything he or his colleagues tried to do was overshadowed by questions about the police investigation, which has still not concluded. No wonder Kate Forbes agreed she had "dodged a bullet" by losing the leadership contest.

But divisions within the party and between the SNP and their Green partners in government have persisted. The Green-led Deposit Return Scheme and the plans for Highly Protected Marine Areas, another Green enthusiasm, were both shelved. Former minister Fergus Ewing got into trouble for refusing to back Green minister Lorna Slater in a vote of confidence.

An SNP MP defected to the Tories. Ash Regan defected to Alex Salmond's Alba party. Labour took Rutherglen from the SNP in a by-election prompted by MP Margaret Ferrier's Covid rule-breaking. And in recent weeks, Humza Yousaf has had to cope with the row over Health Secretary Michael Matheson's £11,000 data roaming bill, blamed on his sons watching football on his iPad.

All in all, not a great year for the new First Minister or his party. They will be hoping for better in 2024.