Slater: FM ended deal ‘because he lost control of SNP’s right-wing’
SCOTTISH Greens co-leader Lorna Slater has said that Humza Yousaf ended the Bute House Agreement because he had “lost control of the right-wing of his party”.
It came following the news that the former minister’s party will back a Tory motion of no confidence in the First Minister.
Speaking to the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland yesterday, it was put to Slater (pictured) that Yousaf could be replaced by another SNP member as First Minister should he choose to resign, with the presenter suggesting Kate Forbes could take over the role as a result of the Greens’ actions.
“I don’t agree with that framing at all,” Slater replied. “The First Minister, I think, felt obliged to end the Bute House Agreement because he had lost control of the right-wing of his party. He had done the maths and realised that he had more rebels than he could cope with so he is being forced by events I expect to move suddenly to the right.
“So the SNP have already moved to the right, they’ve already broken their deal with the progressive Greens and to appease their own conservative wing, they are moving to the right.
“So whoever is going to be leading the SNP next, I expect, will be moving towards more conservative, rightwing policies. We’ll see the roll-back on equalities, roll back on things like income tax, the fairness measures that we’ve been putting in place, we’ll see them roll back and most heartbreakingly on climate and nature measures.”
She added that this is what would be “so upsetting” for young people across Scotland and for future generations. Slater added that the “dice are still tumbling” and that the party would make decisions “as events arise” when pressed on whether or not she wanted a Holyrood election.
Asked if the Greens could change their mind on backing the no-confidence vote, Slater said: “The parliamentary group met yesterday to have this discussion. We decided yesterday that we would not support the First Minister and we would support a vote of no confidence against him but we could have that conversation again. Nobody has reached out to us in any way to try and change our minds so we’ll have to see how events develop.”
The SNP’s Westminster group leader Stephen Flynn – also appeared on Good Morning Scotland and called for “cool heads” from MSPs. Asked about Slater’s comments that Yousaf had “lost control of the right-wing,” Flynn replied: “I mean I’m not entirely sure what that is directly in relation to. I’m not aware of there being particular wings of ideological thought within the SNP.
“We’re all united in our desire to deliver for the people as we’ve done over the course of the last 17 years whether that’s in relation to the health service, to the Scottish economy or indeed whether that’s in relation to mitigating the damage being caused by the cost of living crisis.”
He reiterated his calls for “calm words” and “cool heads” as well as some “reflection over the weekend” about the consequences of a vote of no confidence and in relation to the possibility of a Holyrood election.
Slater’s fellow Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said it is “pretty clear” the First Minister will have to step down.
Speaking to the PA news agency, Harvie said: “Very clearly, he doesn’t have the confidence of parliament.
“We said very clearly the responsibility of the decision is on him. He needs to bear the consequences of that reckless and damaging decision.
“I think it’s pretty clear he’s not the person who is going to be able to bring together a majority of parliament.”
Asked if there was any way back for Yousaf in terms of working with the Greens, he said the First Minister had “broken trust,” adding: “He still hasn’t really given any clarity on why he made such a dramatic U-turn and broken a promise on which he was elected as First Minister.
“So it’s very difficult to see how you can have a conversation that leads to a constructive outcome on the basis of that lack of trust.”
Meanwhile, the Greens said they experienced an overnight surge in new membership applications after Yousaf ended the Bute House Agreement. A spokesperson said they numbered “well into triple figures”.