When I pressed Humza Yousaf on what other evidence was needed given the indiscriminate attacks on international shipping the Houthis have been carrying out for weeks - with warnings from the West that retaliation would follow - he said the risk was that this intervention was not a 'one-off' and he feared British troops being committed to the region. She said the strikes then risked 'dangerous escalation'.

Nicola Sturgeon opposed airstrikes on IS targets in Syria in 2018 - despite describing the use of chemical weapons as 'sickening'.

It's no surprise to see the Scottish National Party trying to differentiate itself from Westminster on foreign affairs and defence policy - over which it has no formal powers.įormer leader Alex Salmond's vigorous opposition to the Iraq War became a running battle with then prime minister Tony Blair. There seems little prospect such a vote would stop it as Labour backs the airstrikes.īut he said the 'evidence base' and end goal of the action was not clear and the UK 'does not have a good track record' when it comes to intervention in the Middle East. Humza Yousaf said parliament should have been consulted ahead of the decision to attack around 60 targets in concert with the US and other allies last night.īut while he said MPs should have had a chance to debate and scrutinise the decision, he did not go as far as demanding a vote on the action. The Scottish first minister used the start of his general election campaign launch to express scepticism about the UK’s airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.

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