Humza Yousaf faces vote over Airbnb-style short-term let law

The Herald – Brian Donnelly

First Minister Humza Yousaf will be the target of a barrage on behalf of an unlikely uprising of Scots this week.

A usually mild-mannered swathe of Scottish B&B and guest house owners has raised its voice as part of a campaign against aspects of new short-term lets legislation and the argument is set to come to a head in the Scottish Parliament this week.

On Wednesday, a strong push is expected to force a vote in the debate called by the Scottish Conservatives. Already, a third of MSPs have written to oppose the start date of the law.

Scotland’s longest-serving Tourism Minister, Fergus Ewing, called for a halt to the legislation in an opinion platform week that was shared by Housing Minister Paul McLennan in The Herald’s special series on short-term lets this week.

“I never expected to see it: At Holyrood this week – bed and breakfast owners demonstrating against the Scottish Government!

“It’s hard to conceive of a group in society less likely to have become a protest group,” Mr Ewing wrote.