Humza Yousaf is to stand down Scotland’s first minister once a successor is found.

He said he had made the decision after spending the weekend reflecting on what was best for the SNP, the government and the country.

Mr Yousaf said he had concluded that someone else would need to take over in order to “repair our relationship across the political divide”.

It follows the collapse of the SNP’s power-sharing deal with the Greens.

Mr Yousaf’s decision to end the agreement angered the Greens and left him struggling to secure enough support in order to lead a a minority government.

He had been facing two votes of no confidence later this week that he was not certain to win.

Speaking at his official Bute House residence in Edinburgh, he said: “I cannot tell you what an honour it is being the first minister of the country I love, the country I am raising my family in and the only country I will ever call home.”

Mr Yousaf added: “As a young boy born and raised in Scotland, I could never have dreamt that one day I would have the privilege of leading my country.

“People that looked like me were not in positions of political influence let alone leading governments when I was younger.

“We now live in a UK that has a British Hindu PM, a Muslim mayor of London, a black Welsh First Minister and, for a little while longer, a Scots Asian first minister of Scotland.”

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