Humza Yousaf’s first year has been a disaster

When Nicola Sturgeon stepped down as First Minister of Scotland a year ago, she said she’d reached the conclusion that she could no further advance the cause of independence. It was time for a new leader with new ideas to energise the campaign to break up the United Kingdom.

Responsibility for invigorating the separatist movement fell to Humza Yousaf, voted in as First Minister on 29 March last year with the promise that he’d take the nationalist cause forwards. If Sturgeon had become too divisive, Yousaf would encourage Unionist voters to think again about the benefits of independence.

Twelve months on, it is safe to say that Yousaf hasn’t even come close to achieving that objective.

A recent poll shows that, while a majority of voters remain pro-devolution, more than half think the Scottish parliament has served them well.

The survey – carried out by the Diffley Partnership for the Holyrood Sources podcast – suggests SNP politicians should concentrate on making devolution work before demanding further constitutional upheaval.