Politics latest: Humza Yousaf asked if 'breaking up is better than being dumped' as he confirms deal with Greens scrapped (2024)

With the local elections just over a week away, deputy political editor Sam Coates explains why they matter and what they might tell us about the upcoming general election.

A point of process but a symbolic moment nonetheless, royal assent means Rishi Sunak's Rwanda bill has been signed off by the monarch and is now law.

But this is likely the easy bit.

The new legislation will now no doubt be stress-tested by the courts in the coming weeks, as refugee charities – and their lawyers – look for chinks in the government's armour.

Campaigners have already said they are identifying migrants who may be singled out for deportation and will be lodging legal challenges.

A looming clash with the European Court of Human Rights is also possible - presenting a test for Rishi Sunak's vow to not let any "foreign court" block flights.

So there is a way to go.

What's more - for all the drama around Rwanda, it's important to remember that success for the prime minister should not be solely judged by how many people are put on planes to Kigali.

True success is if this scheme does indeed have a deterrent effect on people crossing the channel.

It will take many months to establish that.

An initial cohort of people who will be put on flights to Rwanda has been identified and the first flight has been booked, the prime minister's spokesperson has said.

It comes as the government's controversial Rwanda bill has finally become law after receiving royal assent today (see post at 11.13am).

The PM's spokesperson also reiterated Rishi Sunak's pledge that the first flights will take off in "10 to 12 weeks", saying the government hopes to see several flights take off over the summer.

The spokesperson did not comment any further on the flight arrangements.

The scheme, which seeks to deport asylum seekers arriving in the UK via small boats to Rwanda, was passed by parliament this week following a series of setbacks and delays.

The Scottish Conservatives are to lodge a motion for a vote of no confidence in Scotland's first minister, the party's leader Douglas Ross has told MSPs.

It comes after the SNP terminated its power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens.

Humza Yousaf will now lead a minority government.

Mr Ross said the power-sharing agreementhad been a "coalition of chaos" and that it had now "ended in chaos".

He said: "I can confirm today that on behalf of the Scottish Conservatives I am lodging a vote of no confidence in Humza Yousaf."

Speaking at a news conference earlier, Mr Yousaf said the agreement with the Greens "had served its purpose" (see post at 10.16).

"The agreement was intended to provide stability to Scottish government, and it has made possible a number of achievements, but it has served its purpose," he said.

We have been reporting this morning that Scotland's power-sharing agreement between the SNP and Scottish Greens has collapsed (see post at 08.39am).

So what does this all mean?

What has happened this morning?

Scotland's first minister confirmed he had taken the decision to terminate the cooperation agreement (see post at 10.33am).

Speaking at a news conference, Hamza Yousaf said the benefits of the deal had hitherto "outweighed the compromises" - but that the balance had now "shifted" (see post at 10.16am).

Reacting to the move, Green co-leader Lorna Slater accused the SNP of "political cowardice" (see post at 9.44am).

Mr Yousaf's administration will move forward as a minority government.

What is the Bute House agreement?

The power-sharing deal was struck by Mr Yousaf's predecessor Nicola Sturgeon in 2021.

It gave the SNP a majority in the Scottish parliament when its votes were combined with those of Green MSPs.

Named after the first minister's official residence in Edinburgh, Bute House, it was designed to facilitate governing between the two pro-independence parties in Holyrood.

It brought the Greens into government for the first time anywhere in the UK.

Mr Yousaf had previously described the agreement as "worth its weight in gold".

Why has it collapsed?

The collapse follows a bitter row over the Scottish government climbdown on a key climate target.

Last week, it scrapped its commitment to cut emissions by 75% by 2030.

Scotland correspondent Connor Gillieshas described it as a"humiliating moment for the Green Party".

As well as the watering down of climate targets, the Greens were also dismayed at the pause of prescription puberty blockers at Scotland's only gender identity clinic for under-18s.

It followed the landmark Cass reviewof gender services for under-18s in England and Wales.

With a general election looming, what counts as gains and losses for the main parties in next week's locals?

Sky's election analyst Michael Thrasher tells us what to look out for:

By Michael Drummond, foreign news reporter

The government's Rwanda bill has now become law after receiving Royal Assent.

So what is the scheme and why is it so controversial? Here are some of the key questions, answered.

What is the Rwanda asylum plan?

Rishi Sunak's promise to "stop the boats" is one of five pledges he has staked his premiership on.

Key to this is the Rwanda scheme, which would involve some asylum seekers being sent to Rwanda to have their asylum claims processed there.

If successful, they can be allowed to stay in Rwanda or seek asylum in another country. But they would not be able to apply to return to the UK.

Ministers say the policy will act as a deterrent to people thinking of travelling to the UK "illegally" (though whether or not crossing the English Channel in a small boat is actually illegal is complicated).

Why haven't any planes taken off already?

The first plane carrying asylum seekers could take off in 10-12 weeks, the prime minister said ahead of the law passing, in what is another delay, having initially promised this would happen in the spring.

This would be more than two years since the first flight attempted under the deal was grounded amid last-minute legal challenges.

No asylum seekers have yet been sent to Rwanda.

While he refused to go into "sensitive" operations details on Monday, Mr Sunak did outline a number of measures the government was taking to prepare for the first flights to take off.

He said there were now 2,200 detention spaces and that 200 dedicated caseworkers had been trained to process claims quickly.

Around 25 courtrooms have been made available and 150 judges will provide 5,000 sitting days, he added.

Mr Sunak also said there were 500 "highly trained individuals ready to escort illegal migrants all the way to Rwanda, with 300 more trained in the coming week".

Read more here:

The government's Rwanda bill has received royal assent and is now law, the Lord Speaker has confirmed.

The scheme, which seeks to deport asylum seekers arriving in the UK via small boats to Rwanda, was passed by parliament this week.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged the first flights will take off in "10 to 12 weeks".

Sky's political correspondent Rob Powell says the "really difficult bit starts" now, with legal challenges expected.

Read more here:

Labour's plan to allow the railway companies to come back into public ownership is easy to understand, will be overwhelmingly popular with the public and provides an easy dividing line with the Tories.

But will it leave the railways better off?

One key argument advanced for scrapping the old British Rail under Sir John Major's government in the 1990s in favour of privatisation was that it would make investment in new and upgrading trains much easier.

Under the old system, in effect the trains were competing for cash with schools and hospitals - and too often found themselves losing out.

An incoming Labour government - if we get that far - would not only find money tight, but have committed to eyewatering fiscal rules restricting their room for spending.

How much of a priority will modernisation be?

Lou Haigh, shadow transport secretary, says the current system doesn’t work because too much money is being wasted - including on shareholder dividends, the payments to the owners of the private companies - and this needs to change.

But when I pressed her, she revealed that she has not secured any promise from Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, that efficiencies found on the railways are reinvested in the service.

The danger is that the Treasury nabs that money and spends it on public services they deem a bigger priority.

Even the rail companies themselves say things need to change.

Whether this new alternative improves services for passengers remains to be seen.

The first minister is asked whether he pulled the plug on the power-sharing agreement because "breaking up is better than being dumped?"

"I wouldn't know, personally," Humza Yousaf replies, to laughs from the assembled journalists.

He goes on to say he "doesn't know which way the Green vote would have gone".

But that he has been thinking "hard" about this over the course of the last week given "a number of challenges we have faced".

Last week the Greens said they would hold a vote for their members on the future of the agreement.