Yousaf must have felt the worst was over.. but he was wrong

Policies in tatters, a party split and FM has an election to pay for | Labour look set to capitalise on Nats' woes at the ballot box

-  PAUL HUTCHEON

WHEN Humza Yousaf his first "celebrated" anniversary as First Minister last month he must have thought the worst was over.

His time in the hotseat was beset by troubles almost from day one as his party and government seemed to stumble from one disaster to another.

He must have hoped he had turned a corner when he began his second year - but instead has swerved straight into another car crash month.

Former party chief executive Peter Murrell getting charged over embezzlement of SNP funds was just the latest of a series of calamities to strike Yousaf.

He had to cope with the "embarrassment" of ditching climate change targets a flagship policy of his SNP and Green government colleagues.

He was then forced on the backfoot over the Cass report, which raised questions over providing puberty blockers to trans teenagers and saw the practice paused on the NHS.

Murrell's charges are just the latest indication Yousaf is the captain of a sinking ship.

His first 12 months in post saw him unable to escape the troubled legacy of Nicola Sturgeon.

Within weeks of becoming SNP leader, Murrell, Sturgeon and former treasurer Colin Beattie were arrested and released without charge.

He had to waste political capital by dumping her unpopular policies and he inherited a divided indy movement.