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WHO IS ASH REGAN, THE WOMAN WHO COULD BE KEY TO YOUSAF'S FATE?

7 hours ago
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PA Media

Ash Regan quit the SNP several months after Humza Yousaf defeated her in the
contest to become the party’s leader – but now she could play a key role in
whether he continues as first minister.

Ms Regan is now an Alba MSP, and her vote could be crucial when a motion of no
confidence in Mr Yousaf takes place in the Scottish Parliament.

She has written to the first minister setting out her demands in exchange for
her support in the vote, which comes after Mr Yousaf ended the power sharing
agreement with the Scottish Greens.


HUMZA YOUSAF CANCELS SPEECH AMID TURMOIL AFTER POWER-SHARING DEAL COLLAPSES


CAN YOUSAF SURVIVE AS SCOTLAND’S FIRST MINISTER?


SCOTTISH GREENS WILL VOTE TO OUST FIRST MINISTER

Ash Regan was little known outside political circles until she quit as community
safety minister in October 2022 over plans to make it easier for someone to
change their legally-recognised gender.

It was the first time an SNP minister had quit over government policy since the
party came to power in 2007.

Ms Regan had been a longstanding critic of the proposals and was one of nine SNP
politicians who rebelled against the party whip in a vote two months later.

The following year she was one of three candidates in the contest to replace
Nicola Sturgeon as party leader and first minister.

Ms Regan finished third in that vote, which was won by Humza Yousaf.

In October 2023 she defected from the SNP to join Alex Salmond’s
pro-independence Alba Party, becoming its first MSP.

PA Media
Ash Regan speaking at a demonstration against the Gender Recognition Reform
(Scotland) Bill in 2022

The 50-year-old, who has twin sons, was born in Biggar. Her parents owned a kilt
shop in Glasgow and she attended primary school in Scotland before moving to
England.

She received a BA in international relations at Keele University and a diploma
at the London School of Public Relations.

She worked in PR, marketing and event management before returning to Scotland in
2012, when she became active in the Women for Independence organisation and the
Common Weal think tank.

She joined the SNP after the 2014 referendum, then defeated Scottish Labour
leader Kezia Dugdale in the 2016 Holyrood election to become MSP for Edinburgh
Eastern.

She was appointed community safety minister by Nicola Sturgeon two years later.

She held the role until her resignation over the gender reform bill, which she
said her conscience would not let her support.

PA Media
Ash Regan finished third in the SNP leadership race last year

During the leadership campaign Ms Regan described gender self-identification
legislation as "flawed" and said the party had lost its way in recent years.

She also spoke out against controversial proposals for a bottle return scheme
and voiced support for the North Sea oil and gas industry, where she believed
the focus should be on protecting jobs.

Her stance on these issues clashed with the views of Green ministers Patrick
Harvie and Lorna Slater.

Ms Regan also raised eyebrows during the leadership campaign with proposals for
an "independence thermometer" that would be erected in a public place so people
could see how close Scotland was to independence.

When she joined Alba later in 2023, Ms Regan said the SNP had “lost its focus on
independence”.

At the time, Mr Yousaf told BBC Scotland she was "not a particularly great loss"
to the party.

But Ms Regan could now play a crucial role when the Scottish Parliament votes on
a motion of no confidence in the first miniser.

The Greens said on Thursday they would vote against the first minister, meaning
his survival could depend on Ms Regan's vote.

She has sent Mr Yousaf her list of demands to secure her support, which included
progress on Scottish independence and defending "the rights of women and
children".




FORMER SNP LEADERSHIP CANDIDATE DEFECTS TO ALBA


HUMZA YOUSAF SUCCEEDS NICOLA STURGEON AS SNP LEADER

Ash Regan
Alba Party
Scotland
SNP (Scottish National Party)

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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

More
2 hrs ago


HUMZA YOUSAF: WHO IS SCOTLAND'S UNDER-THREAT FIRST MINISTER?

A profile of Humza Yousaf, the SNP leader, who faces a no confidence vote in the
Scottish Parliament.

2 hrs ago

Scotland Politics
3 hrs ago


YOUSAF WILL NOT RESIGN AS SCOTLAND'S FIRST MINISTER

Humza Yousaf says he is confident of winning a no-confidence vote next week
despite opposition calls for him to quit.

3 hrs ago

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8 hrs ago


YOUR PICTURES OF SCOTLAND: 19 - 26 APRIL

A selection of photographs submitted to BBC Scotland News from around the
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SCOTLAND'S PAPERS: YOUSAF 'ON BRINK' AS GREEN DEAL ENDS

The first minister's future dominates the front pages of the newspapers in
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HOW THE DAY UNFOLDED AFTER COLLAPSE OF SNP'S DEAL WITH GREENS

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1 day ago

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