The wider lessons of Scotland's political turmoil

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HUMZA YOUSAF announced his resignation as Scotland's first minister on April 29th after a mere 13 months (or 8.1 Liz Trusses) in office. Four days earlier he had unilaterally terminated a coalition agreement with the Scottish Green Party, claiming that this would free the Scottish National Party (SNP) to run an unencumbered minority government. The Greens promptly said they would support a vote of no confidence in him, and when it became clear that Mr Yousaf would struggle to survive, he fell on his sword.

Mr Yousaf's departure is the latest in a string of setbacks for a party that once seemed to exert complete command over Scottish politics. That is important for Britain—not least because the path to Downing Street for Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, becomes easier if his party does well in Scotland. But it also holds wider lessons: that nationalism requires fuel to survive; that climate politics menaces the stability of governments; and that populism is not policy.

From the May 4th 2024 edition

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