The Scottish Government has lost heart in passing difficult legislation

There seems to be a terrible stooge around Humza Yousaf who says he will give up British citizenship in the event of independence.

Spoiler alert: he’s a Scottish nationalist. What do you think he will do? Wear Union Jack knickers on the big day?

The only real problem in the whole debate is that Scotland under the SNP is about as likely to achieve independence as I am to master the art of levitation.

However, it’s not his British nationality that we should be worried about if Yousaf is dumped – it’s the green legislation. The Scottish Government’s environmental policy is being destroyed faster than a British TV star’s reputation on Twitter.

Joking aside, this is really important. The effects of climate change are now evidently omnipresent. Since coming to power, Yousaf has delayed the deposit return system and scrapped plans for highly protected marine areas.

Now Yousaf seems ready to roll back plans designed to encourage homeowners to replace gas boilers with eco-friendly heat pumps. The announcement was made on Sunday by Green Minister Patrick Harvie.

What the hell is going on here? Has the Scottish Government completely lost the will, courage and guts to legislate in difficult areas?

And it’s not just the environment that’s affected. Legislation to set up a national nursing service has been delayed and the alcohol advertising ban has also been suspended.

Dealing with the gas boiler problem was abhorrent and came by any means and no carrot. After the announcement was made, the public felt they would be penalized if they didn’t replace fossil fuel boilers. It understandably sparked anger as people were convinced they would pay outrageously.

What Harvie didn’t explain, however, was that there are £7,500 grants available for heat pumps in Scotland, which could bring the cost down to around £500.

Instead of using some PR skills and explaining it, Yousaf seemed to relent. When asked about the proposals, he said they could be watered down, saying “let’s see how far we get” if we move forward with the plans. Given his track record of chloroforming legislation, that doesn’t bode well.

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That’s not just weak: while the Mediterranean burns, it’s ruthless. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the era of global warming is over and we have now entered the “era of global cooking”.

It is therefore the duty of politicians – especially those who pride themselves on being green – to make sure that environmental policies work. Life and livelihood depend on it.

The deposit return system, the marine sanctuaries and this new plan to make home heating greener are not just necessary, they are vital.

Still, the Scottish Government seems to be doing their best, handling politics so damn clumsily that ministers are making everyone so angry that the only option is to abandon the plans altogether. Ministers don’t seem to understand how to get voters on board.

People are understandably afraid of having to pay for green policies amid the cost of living crisis. All three of the Scottish Government’s environmental policies have been so badly managed that they have scared voters.

As it stands, green policies will hurt some people – often the poorest. That can’t happen. This week we’ve seen record earnings for energy companies. British Gas reported that its half-year profit rose to £969m. Scottish Power was up 58% year-on-year, from £481m to £1.16bn.

It was the companies that produce fossil fuels that were responsible for climate change. It must be the fossil fuel companies that pay for the green policies needed to mitigate climate change through higher taxes.

The Scottish Government cannot be blamed here. The power to blame fossil fuel companies for the financial burden rests solely with Westminster.

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