Green Party leaders are under pressure to reconsider their power sharing deal with Humza Yousaf’s SNP as the backlash begins at the shock U-turn on national climate change targets.
Activist Guy Ingerson, standing for the party in Aberdeen South at the next election, is among those backing calls to “consider withdrawing” from the so-called Bute House Agreement.
“Having taken time to process the events of yesterday and the discussion that took place between members and our MSPs, I will be supporting the calls for an extraordinary general meeting,” he posted on social media.
“Our party needs to take stock and discuss the continuation of the Bute House Agreement”.
It follows a demand by Green party councillor Chas Booth in Edinburgh.
Environmentalists are furious at Thursday’s announcement that the Scottish Government is scrapping the target of reducing emissions by 75% by 2030.
SNP “Net Zero” Secretary Mairi McAllan conceded the goal is “out of reach” during a statement in parliament.
I have therefore written to the chair of SGP party Executive to ask them to call an EGM as soon as reasonably possible to consider withdrawing from the Bute House Agreement.
I'd urge other party members who are upset & angry at today's announcement to do likewise.
7/7
— Chas Booth 🇪🇺🇺🇦 (@CllrChasBooth) April 18, 2024
Separately, some Greens are angry that the prescription of puberty blockers in Scotland has been paused. That row emerged from long-running controversy over transgender rights and laws on access to care.
Last year, Greens were blindsided by the last minute announcement of a controversial council tax freeze policy.
Some SNP figures are already frustrated with the powersharing deal for other reasons. Veteran nationalist Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, memorably branded his coalition partners “wine bar pseudo-intellectuals”.
But losing the deal would mean the SNP are back to a minority government in the Scottish Parliament.
The deal gave Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater ministerial roles in Mr Yousaf’s government.
Since then, the pair have had to defend the loss of a the doomed bottle deposit return scheme and ill-fated fishing restrictions, since ditched.
However, in the wake of the scrapping of the 2030 emissions target, Mr Booth hit out.
Overnight, Leith councillor Chas Booth said he was “never a fan” of the agreement but had “accepted the democratic vote of party members” to go into the powersharing arrangement with the SNP.
He now says: “I’m forced to conclude our party is being used as a fig-leaf for the SNP’s woeful and inexcusable climate inaction.
“I have therefore written to the chair of SGP party executive to ask them to call an EGM as soon as reasonably possible to consider withdrawing from the Bute House Agreement.”
Meanwhile, former MSP Robin Harper, who was the first Scottish Green representative elected to Holyrood, said the SNP and Greens had been “caught out this time” and are “having to readjust their targets and actions”.
Writing in the Scottish Daily Mail, he added: “The claim that Scotland had the best climate change targets in the world was, at best, an unsubstantiated assertion, at worst, a deliberate attempt at covering up our own shortcomings.”
A spokesperson for the Scottish Greens said: “The co-operation agreement that saw Green politicians enter government for the first time anywhere in the UK, which has been repeatedly endorsed and voted for by members of both parties, has been the catalyst for driving progressive environmental change over the last two-and-a-half years, including moving from targets to an acceleration of climate action with an evidence based route map to 2045.
“As a democratic party we encourage members to engage and participate, and there are a number of ways open for people to do that.”