What comes next for the SNP after Scotland’s leader Yousaf resigns? | World News

Scotland’s leader Humza Yousaf resigned on Monday, further imperiling more than a decade of governance by the Scottish National Party (SNP) and setting back its aspirations of independence from Britain.

The crisis marks a stunning fall for the SNP and strengthens the hand of the UK opposition Labour Party ahead of a national election expected this year.

The party achieved majority government in Scotland in 2011, leading to a 2014 independence referendum. Though Scots voted ‘No’ to independence by 55% to 45%, the SNP consolidated ‘Yes’ supporters to win 56 of 59 Scottish seats in the UK parliament in 2015, making it Britain’s third-biggest party, despite standing in fewer than a tenth of UK seats.

Under former leader Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP opposed Brexit at a 2016 referendum, a popular position in Scotland even though the UK as a whole voted to leave the EU. The party has continued to push for a second referendum on independence from the UK.

When Yousaf replaced her, he was widely seen as a continuity candidate. But some SNP lawmakers have questioned the progressive priorities of the party under Sturgeon and Yousaf.

With the SNP’s popularity sliding, a YouGov poll in April put Labour ahead of the SNP for a UK election for the first time since 2014.

Yousaf said he would stay on as interim first minister until a new SNP leader is chosen. There are 28 days for a new first minister to be appointed, and the SNP will commence a fresh leadership contest in order to nominate someone to the position.

If no first minister commands the support of parliament after 28 days have passed, a new election to the Scottish parliament will be called.