it sturgeon was first minister. it meant that the two microlitres of the green party, you can see them here, became members of the government. in 2023, humza yousaf took over as leader of the snp, but since then there have been several issues that have caused a lot of division within the scottish government. the most divisive was the environment policy. they announced that they would scrap their target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2030. this is a significant u—turn for the snp, because when these targets were first announced in 2019, nicola sturgeon, the first minister at the time, said they were the most stretching targets in the world. she said that hers was the first

government on the planet to declare a climate emergency. but climate experts say that the emergency response never came. for the greens, cutting emissions is one of their main objectives. it is a key policy area. so this is seen as a huge failure for them. today, the co—leader of the scottish greens accuse the snp of selling out future generations. she also said that humza yousaf can no longer be trusted. so it appears that it had become impossible for the two parties to continue working together. so what happens next? the snp leader will now form a minority government until the next scottish parliament elections in 2026. live to glasgow and let's talk to

political comentator brian taylor, who was the bbc�*s former political editor at bbc scotland. thank you forjoining us. i wondered if i could get your reaction, having covered the scottish politics for many decades, due today's events. fix, many decades, due today's events. remarkable set of events. i think humza yousaf was in difficulty already, there were questions about his leadership from opposition parties but also within his own side, about economic policy and whether there was a sufficient stress on economic growth. i think he has looked at the prospect of several weeks of indecision and uncertainty because of the greens having a scheduled meeting towards the end of may on whether to end the agreement on government. i wanted that uncertainty. he decided to go on the front foot, to presume that the practice is at an end and ended

himself. the advantage is that it gives him the agenda, it gives him control. it also allowed him... he very much stressed economic growth. it was specifically left out of the agreement because greenstone —— the greens don't believe in it as a measure of success. he is denying suggestions that he is abandoning theissue suggestions that he is abandoning the issue of climate change, but he is now a minority. he now leads a minority government, he has not got the votes in the scottish parliament to command on, for example, a confidence motion he faces himself, tabled by douglas ross of the conservatives, and also on supply, thatis conservatives, and also on supply, that is money, the budget. he hasn't got the votes to get that through unless he does deals with other parties. the atmosphere in the scottish parliament is now so bitter and astringent that i think the

prospect of deals with other parties, perhaps it is possible on individual topics, parties, perhaps it is possible on individualtopics, but wider agreements will be difficult indeed. the greens will meet this afternoon to decide how they will vote on any confidence motion, but it is not king good for humza yousaf. d0 confidence motion, but it is not king good for humza yousaf. do you think the greens _ king good for humza yousaf. do you think the greens will _ king good for humza yousaf. do you think the greens will back _ king good for humza yousaf. do you think the greens will back him - king good for humza yousaf. do you think the greens will back him on i think the greens will back him on that right? think the greens will back him on that riuht? ., ~ , that right? no, i think they will vote with the _ that right? no, i think they will vote with the conservatives. i that right? no, i think they will i vote with the conservatives. they will find that difficult, they might abstain because of their distaste for the tories and the fact it is a tory led initiative. it was not a full—scale coalition, they were not in cabinet, they werejunior ministers outside cabinet, and it was only on a limited series of issues around climate change and holding a further referendum. it was about confidence and supply and she will say that humza yousaf has collapsed the confidence side of it and basically you do the maths. the

greens will be looking at their difficult position with humza yousaf, they may abstain rather than vote against him. the liberal democrat have said that two circus clowns have left the government, meaning that the whole circus should be wound up. as things stand at the moment, humza yousaf is facing eight —— is facing a tough vote with that confidence vote. we -- is facing a tough vote with that confidence vote.— confidence vote. we have had minority governments - confidence vote. we have had| minority governments before, confidence vote. we have had - minority governments before, can he make it work? we minority governments before, can he make it work?— make it work? we had a coalition between labour _ make it work? we had a coalition between labour and _ make it work? we had a coalition between labour and the - make it work? we had a coalition between labour and the little - between labour and the little democrats for many years, then snp took power in 2007 as a minority government until 2011. the deals they did in those days were with the tories, who sought to gain advantage and get concessions from the snp is.

those days have gone, especially after the scottish independence and brexit referenda. politics in scotland has long been difficult, but now it is very tough indeed. it will be extremely difficult for the snp to sustain confidence in their government and even more difficult to sustain confidence in getting their budget through. it will be a tough time, but humza yousaf thinks he is more in tone with the views of the scottish people, who will be somewhat fed up of the greens. thank ou for somewhat fed up of the greens. thank you for your — somewhat fed up of the greens. thank you for your insight _ somewhat fed up of the greens. thank you for your insight into _ somewhat fed up of the greens. thank you for your insight into scottish politics was not appreciate your time. let's stay with politics. there's a week to go until local elections take place across england and wales — a vote which will give the parties a sense of the political weather ahead of the next general election. there are battles for council seats and police and crime commissioners, but mayoralties are also up

for grabs in ten english regions. one of the most hotly contested is in the west midlands, and our political correspondent, alex forsyth, has been to test the mood. it's revved up and well under way, the race to be the next mayor of the west midlands. what is happening here? this man visiting a motor bike manufacturer in solihull has had the job for the past seven years and wants a third term, and against a backdrop of bleak polls for his party, he has distanced himself from the tory brand. you are not there to just represent your party, you are there to represent your place first and foremost, so i have batted for it in london, winning investment, record investment, record investment from around the world as well, and it is the job of the mayor to get out there and be the champion. if you win the race, will you have won in spite of your party? i will have won because of what i have done on the ground and there is a real message about delivery, delivery, delivery.

here, the mayor is responsible for things like transport, skills and housing, boosting economic growth. and the labour candidate reckons he has a plan to do just that. i know this place, i know what is wrong and i know what we need to fix, and i've set out a plan for a fresh start to do exactly that. if you win, will it be you that has won or will it be the labour party doing well? i think, truly, it will be a combination of both. the labour party, nationally, have given me a great platform, but the only way we can win is if we can campaign a hard on the ground and set out a vision and policy priorities that resonate with the people of the west midlands. in this region, the candidates want to be considered in their own right, on their record or their policies, and mayors are meant to be something of a figurehead to the region. but in all likelihood the results of this race will also be seen as an important measure of the national political mood, particularly if the conservatives are losing support to the labour party and

the west midlands. and welcome to the centre for- the new midlands mayoral hustings. of course, they are not the only one standing. the green party, the liberal democrats and reform uk are all in the contest, and there is also an independent candidate who wasn't at the debate we went to but who is campaigning hard on social media. # 0ld mcdonald had a farm...# the political noise of the campaign has not escaped parents at this sing—and—sign group, but are the promises being made in tune with things that matter here? there is a real gap for things for children and young people to do, and teenagers that there used to be. i think about my baby's future and i'm worried about climate change. have you heard much about this election for a mayor? i feel like i don't know much. on a personal level what each of the candidates really stands for. i'd kind of like more information, less about what the other parties

are getting wrong and more about what actually, this is what we're going to do. with a week to go, it seems it is still all to play for. you can get more details on all the elections that are taking place, there are also elections for police and crime commissioner is and local councils, that is all the bbc news website. we will be back at the post office inquiry shortly. this is tower bridge and it is has its windows cleaned. take a look at these pictures. specialist window cleaners abseiled from the tower�*s twin high—level walkways to clean the underside of their glass floors. it's the first time the underside of the floors has been cleaned since the glass was installed a decade ago. the work was carried out in the early hours

of wednesday morning, during the bridge's latest overnight closures for maintenance. we've done it on smaller bridges but nothing quite of this stature — nor of this prestige as well. so it's a huge honour, a huge privilege as well. you certainly wouldn't have got me doing that. we will return to the post office inquiry now. a former executive has been giving evidence. you may rumour that she was portrayed in the itv drama. she has been described as knowing more about the faulty horizon it system than anyone else. during her evidence this morning she apologised for the "devastation" caused to the sub—postmasters who were wrongly convicted of theft or false accounting. let's speak to our correspondent, azadeh moshiri, who is following the inquiry in central london. really, this is such a big day at the inquiry, isn't it? it

really, this is such a big day at the inquiry, isn't it?— really, this is such a big day at the inquiry, isn't it? it is, and it is a big day _ the inquiry, isn't it? it is, and it is a big day for— the inquiry, isn't it? it is, and it is a big day for the _ the inquiry, isn't it? it is, and it- is a big day for the sub-postmaster is a big day for the sub—postmaster is a big day for the sub—postmaster is in particular because she personally handled so many of their complaints about the horizon it system. they have been waiting for this moment for quite some time. i caught up with one of them in the break, who had to step out of that hearing twice this morning, because she couldn't handle the stress is the questions were being answered. she doesn't have much of a filter and wanted to keep our reactions to herself and not disrupt the proceedings. fora herself and not disrupt the proceedings. for a lot of these sub—postmaster is an businesses, the stakes are very high. they became bankrupt, they lost their businesses, some went to prison. they also have mental health issues linked to this crisis. this is someone who has also been accused of

misleading a judge during a court case, a big court case between alan bates at the post office. it is a difficult moment for a lot of them. she has been questioned this morning about what she knew about the remote access to the it system that is at the heart of this case. absolutely. you see at — the heart of this case. absolutely. you see at the _ the heart of this case. absolutely. you see at the heart _ the heart of this case. absolutely. you see at the heart of— the heart of this case. absolutely. you see at the heart of this - you see at the heart of this case, and it really is, because while the post office says there was no cover—up, denies those accusations from sub—postmasters, the knowledge that there was the ability for fujitsu to tamper with branch accounts, that issue of remote access is a reality that they didn't have access to, did not know when they were wrongfully prosecuted, and it could have made a difference in their cases. the key here is to understand when executives, who had

a lot of power and purview when it came to these complaints, what they knew and when they knew it. there is a lot of back—and—forth about an e—mail she received in 2010, which she says she missed. she has given testimony in court. the inquiry counsel is really trying to determine whether there were any statements that were made. iluuiliiiie determine whether there were any statements that were made. while you have been talking, _ statements that were made. while you have been talking, the _ statements that were made. while you have been talking, the inquiry - statements that were made. while you have been talking, the inquiry has - have been talking, the inquiry has restarted. so let's listen in.- restarted. so let's listen in. there are two micro _ restarted. so let's listen in. there are two micro anomalies, - restarted. so let's listen in. there are two micro anomalies, the - are two micro anomalies, the receipts— are two micro anomalies, the receipts of payments, the mismatch problem _ receipts of payments, the mismatch problem at — receipts of payments, the mismatch problem at the local accounts problem _ problem at the local accounts problem which were detailed in 2013. then paragraph 30, over the page, please _ then paragraph 30, over the page, please. first few lines. priorto this, _ please. first few lines. priorto this, i— please. first few lines. priorto this, iwas_ please. first few lines. priorto this, i was aware of general rumblings of complaints and concerns about _ rumblings of complaints and concerns about the _ rumblings of complaints and concerns

about the integrity of horizon. when you took— about the integrity of horizon. when you took over responsibility for the contract _ you took over responsibility for the contract administration team, i became — contract administration team, i became aware of claims that the horizon — became aware of claims that the horizon system itself was generating discrepancies in branches. 0k? back to paragraph 29. at the foot of the page _ to paragraph 29. at the foot of the page. what did you mean by becoming, formerly— page. what did you mean by becoming, formerly aware? that was the first time i became aware. i was aware that people were claiming that there might be something wrong with the system but it was only when there were those bugs disclosed that i became aware of them. we bugs disclosed that i became aware of them. ~ ., ., ~'

bugs disclosed that i became aware ofthem. ~ ., ., , .,