Patrick Harvie, the co-leader of the Scottish Greens, has issued a warning to First Minister John Swinney not to assume that his party’s votes are guaranteed when it comes to the Scottish budget. He reminded Swinney that the Greens had previously brought down an SNP budget in 2009 over a disagreement regarding a home insulation program worth £33 million.
During his speech at the party’s conference in Greenock, Harvie criticized the Scottish Government for what he called a “sharp U-turn” on climate policies since the Greens left the government. He mentioned that certain policies supported by the Greens, such as nature restoration funding and a pilot program to eliminate peak rail fares, have been put on hold by the Scottish Government since the end of the Bute House Agreement earlier this year.
Harvie emphasized that his party’s priority in budget negotiations would be to address these “broken promises” made by the SNP Government. He proposed measures such as stopping tax breaks for wealthy landowners and arms companies, implementing a public health levy on supermarkets to support the healthcare system, and reversing decisions like delaying the rollout of free school meals for primary school children.
Additionally, Harvie stated that the Scottish Greens would not simply approve the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Bill without scrutiny. He criticized the government for backtracking on emission reduction targets and called for urgent action to combat climate change, stating that Scotland is falling behind where it should be in terms of environmental progress.
In conclusion, Harvie made it clear that the Scottish Greens will engage in budget negotiations in good faith but will not hesitate to hold the Scottish Government accountable for its actions. He reminded Swinney of the power the Greens hold in influencing budget decisions, referencing the past incident where they brought down an SNP budget. The Scottish Government has been approached for comment on these matters.
