FM to set out details of Greens deal after summer recess

Nicola Sturgeon will set out details of her Government’s deal with the Greens as Holyrood returns after the summer recess.

The first day of business is also expected to see Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater formally appointed as junior ministers in the Scottish Government – the first time ever Greens have held such positions anywhere in the UK.

It comes after a co-operation agreement between the two pro-independence parties was endorsed by the members of both organisations this weekend.

Sturgeon said the “historic cooperation agreement” between the two parties was founded on “a shared drive to work together in the Scottish Government to build a greener, fairer, independent Scotland”.

As a result, Harvie will become the minister for zero carbon buildings, active travel and tenants’ rights, while Slater – a renewable energy expert who was became an MSP in May – will take on the role of minister for green skills, the circular economy and biodiversity.

Meanwhile SNP MSP Neil Gray said the deal could see the people of Scotland given the chance to vote again on the issue of independence.

He stated: “Our Scottish Parliament was built on the founding principles of working together and collaborating and we should all come together for the future of Scotland.

“As we recover from the pandemic we can focus on creating good, green jobs to support our just transition.

“We can build a social security system that is built for the people of Scotland, not against them. And we can give the people of Scotland a choice over their future in an independence referendum.”

But Scottish Conservatives have vowed to vote against the appointment of the two Green Party co-leaders to the government.

Tory Covid recovery spokesman Murdo Fraser said: “In the middle of the biggest economic crisis in our lifetime, it’s deeply worrying that Nicola Sturgeon is turning to anti-jobs, anti-business extremists.

“It is pure economic vandalism to hand power to Green MSPs who have admitted they want to limit growth and hold back Scotland’s economy.”

He added: “Nicola Sturgeon is taking a nationalist gamble with people’s jobs. She is bringing in radicals, all in the hopes of ramping up her push for another divisive referendum.

“Only the Scottish Conservatives will stand up and challenge this divisive coalition of chaos and provide a real alternative to end the obsession with independence.”