SNP could make life difficult for Labour - Humza Yousaf

Humza Yousaf has said the SNP could marque beingness "very difficult" for Labour successful a hung parliament if it refused to springiness Scotland independency ballot powers.

Scotland's archetypal curate reiterated that devolved powerfulness would beryllium the terms for SNP enactment connected Labour's agenda.

However helium said it was "obvious" that independency was not the "consistent settled volition of the Scottish people".

Labour person repeatedly said they would not bash a woody with the SNP connected different referendum.

Last period elder figures successful the SNP said they could hold the equilibrium of power successful the adjacent parliament - the astir explicit connection yet of their strategy up of the adjacent wide election.

Speaking connected BBC One's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Yousaf said having an independency referendum would beryllium "top of the list" if Labour wanted SNP backing.

He said: "We would ne'er prop up a Conservative government, ever. And underline that and enactment that successful bold. But of people if Labour bash not privation to cooperate with america past we would marque beingness precise hard for them."

Asked what helium meant by this, Mr Yousaf pointed to budgets and the "legislative process".

"There were immoderate tricky times erstwhile we were a number government," helium said. "What you privation is simply a government, peculiarly if you're coming successful caller arsenic a caller government, you privation stability.

"You privation to beryllium capable to get your fund through, you privation to beryllium capable to get your legislative docket through, you don't privation frustrated astatine each azygous country and each azygous turn."

The 37-year-old became the archetypal Muslim to pb a large UK party.

He was wide assumed to beryllium Nicola Sturgeon's preferred successor, though she did not explicitly backmost immoderate of the candidates successful the contest.

In sentiment polls, enactment for Scottish independency consistently sits successful the mid to precocious forties.

Ms Sturgeon wanted to usage the adjacent wide predetermination successful Scotland arsenic a de facto referendum, though this would person nary effect successful law.

Mr Yousaf said his penchant was a "legally binding referendum".

He told Laura Kuenssberg: "One time 1 canvass volition accidental that independency is supra 50%, a canvass the adjacent time volition archer america that it's little than 50%.

"So we're determination oregon thereabouts successful narration to enactment for independence. I don't privation to beryllium determination oregon thereabouts, I privation to marque definite that independency is simply a accordant settled will.

"So astatine the infinitesimal for illustration it's beauteous evident that independency is not the accordant settled volition of the Scottish people."

Mr Yousaf aboriginal added that enactment for independency is "still stone solid".

He said: "It's a bully basal for america to physique on. And I've got nary doubt, I've got nary uncertainty astatine all, that I volition beryllium the person that volition guarantee that Scotland becomes an autarkic nation."

Mr Yousaf's aboriginal days arsenic archetypal curate person proved to beryllium challenging, with the apprehension and merchandise of the SNP's main executive - and Nicola Sturgeon's hubby - Peter Murrell implicit a constabulary probe into the party's finances.

The DRS was past week postponed until October 2025 when, contempt an ultimatum from the archetypal minister, the UK authorities excluded solid from the Scottish scheme.

Mr Yousaf has already warned that devolution is "becoming unworkable" and criticised the "interfering" Conservative authorities astatine Westminster.

Asked whether helium would judge erstwhile archetypal curate Alex Salmond's projected confederation of the independency supporting parties, including his ain Alba Party - Mr Yousaf said "not successful the wide election".

"Why would we request an confederation erstwhile we are by acold the largest independency conveyance enactment successful the state by rather immoderate distance," helium said.