“Decline and disintegration” – Northern Isles MP responds to First Minister’s resignation

Responding to the resignation today of Humza Yousaf as leader of the SNP, following the collapse of the SNP-Scottish Green coalition, Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael said:

“The resignation of Humza Yousaf is just the latest development in the decline and now disintegration of the SNP. After seventeen years in government they have little to show for it. Scottish education used to be a byword in excellence. On the SNP’s watch we have seen our schools tumble down the international league tables. For too many people, access to GPs and dental care is next to impossible. 

“Just this weekend while the nationalists were in turmoil we saw no fewer than six CalMac Ferries on the West Coast break down. The number of people dying in Scotland from drugs misuse remains scandalously high. 

“These failures are not just part of a run of bad luck.  This is what happens when your government spends all its time and energy chasing the pipe dream of independence rather than concentrating on the day job.”

He added:

“Neither the SNP nor the Scottish Greens come out of this sorry saga with any credit. Two parties which agreed on so much – their nationalism, their shared suspicion of business, or their centralising policies like HPMAs – should not have folded so easily.

“That the SNP and the Greens nevertheless fell apart with such acrimony makes their failure all the more damning. These are not serious parties of government.

“The resignation of Humza Yousaf will make no difference to us in the isles if he is replaced by another nationalist intent on centralising control. What is needed now is more than a change of face at the top. We need a change of direction which we know will only come from a change of government at Holyrood.”