Can Humza Yousaf save himself?

Scotland's first minister must ruin Nicola Sturgeon or face ruin himself.

Later today, Humza Yousaf will make his first significant parliamentary statement as Scotland’s first minister. “Our priorities for Scotland” are likely to involve doubling-down on the SNP’s coalition with the (unpopular) Green party, promoting dubious nostrums such as a “well-being economy” and increasing taxes on wealthier Scots.

This morning Colin Beattie, the MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh and, more significantly, the SNP’s treasurer was arrested by police investigating the alleged misappropriation, and perhaps embezzlement, of the SNP’s finances.

When it rains, it really rains and no prizes will be awarded for correctly guessing which of these developments will dominate the news agenda.

Yousaf already feels like an unlucky general - the quality, you will not need to be reminded, that Napoleon prized most in his own subordinates - but this is, in part, because he is no good at making his own luck. Quite the contrary, in fact, since his reaction to finding himself in a ho…