Humza Yousaf was accused of being an even more divisive figure than Nicola Sturgeon – after creating the post of minister for independence in his government.
Douglas Ross said the new First Minister had succeeding in splitting both the country, with his immediate focus on a referendum, and his party, with his ministerial appointments.
At FMQs, the Scottish Conservative leader said Humza Yousaf had undermined his own vow to be the First Minister for all of Scotland, by appointing “a taxpayer-funded nationalist campaigner”.
He also highlighted criticism by SNP figures over the lack of ministers with economic credibility in his government.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said: “On Tuesday, Humza Yousaf promised to be ‘First Minister for all of Scotland’.
“But look at his first week in office: on Monday, within minutes of winning the leadership of his party, he said he would push ‘right away’ for powers to hold another referendum.
“On Tuesday, in a call with the Prime Minister, he demanded another independence vote, and yesterday he appointed a Minister for independence – a taxpayer-funded nationalist campaigner.
“Instead of looking for cooperation between Scotland’s two governments he’s looking for a fight.
“Humza Yousaf’s own colleagues have no confidence in his government’s chances of reviving Scotland’s sluggish economy.
“Ivan McKee, said that this government needs to ‘reset’ its relationship with business, while an SNP source describes a minister he axed as ‘one of the few non-idiots that was available’.
“Former SNP minister Alex Neil insisted ‘the best economic brains in the government have been sidelined’, and another party source said: ‘There is a concerning lack of numeracy skills in this group’.
“Humza Yousaf is leading a divided party that has no confidence in his government’s ability.
“And no wonder, when he’s stuffed his cabinet full of his predecessor's lackeys – ministers with almost as poor a track record in government as he has.
“He squeaked a win and then forced the former finance secretary Kate Forbes and her supporters out of government in an act of petty vengeance.
“And now to shore up his position within his feuding party, he’s back to pushing independence because it’s the only thing the SNP still agrees on.
“Humza Yousaf is more divisive than even Nicola Sturgeon was.
“He’s already split his own party down the middle – and now he wants to do the same with the country.
“If he can’t even unite his own party, how can he possibly unite the country?”