Humza Yousaf admits ending Greens deal was his mistake

The former first minster said ordinarily “reasonable, supportive” people in his party -and not only the “usual malcontents” – told him that Mr Harvie’s comments had made the Bute House Agreement “very difficult to sustain”.

Mr Yousaf then used an expletive to take full blame for the decision to end the deal with the Greens, adding: “It was my choice.”

He said he had calculated his administration could fend off opposition votes of no confidence with the support of Alba MSP Ash Regan.

He told the Edinburgh event that deal became “impossible” when Alba leader and former first minister Alex Salmond proposed an electoral pact with the SNP.

“There was no way I was going to play a part in rehabilitating Alex Salmond in the political bubble,” he said.

He then said: “I could have done a deal (with Alba) that went against my principles, that would have saved my skin.

“It would have got me the votes I needed but I wasn’t going to do that.”

A spokesperson for the Alba Party said: “There was no reference to an electoral pact in the proposals that would have saved Humza’s job – he knows that because he described them as sensible at the time.”