Humza Yousaf’s clumsiness meant he had to jump – but Westminster also gave him a push | Rory Scothorne

Hopefully Humza Yousaf, who last week collapsed his own government’s majority by ending the SNP’s cooperation agreement with the Scottish Greens and then resigned before a probable no-confidence vote at Holyrood, can find clarity and respite after what must have been a personally horrible year.

He spoke honestly about the emotional toll, and became one of the few western leaders – out of clear principle, not just personal investment – to openly criticise Israel’s relentless assault on the Palestinian people.

Yousaf won a close leadership race against Kate Forbes, a devoutly religious conservative who sought to abandon the Greens and pivot towards business, and began his tenure with little support beyond nervous progressive activists in the SNP.

When, in the wake of further disappointments over carbon emission targets and transgender healthcare, their members secured an extraordinary general meeting to discuss the future of the cooperation agreement, Yousaf confused decisiveness for confidence and terminated the whole thing.

Having tolerated both internal dissent and vicious external criticism for their role in government, the Greens’ reaction should have been predictable, and they duly indicated their determination to bring him down in a confidence vote.

If he is replaced by someone like John Swinney who can still work with the Greens, they will be able to trade their support for legislation on a case-by-case basis, without the compromises that came with a wider agreement and threatened party unity.