Pact could do harm to Indy chances, says ex-secretary

THE SNP deal with the Greens won’t boost chances of an independence poll and could damage support for leaving the UK, former Health Secretary Alex Neil said.

Mr Neil hit out at the ‘madcap’ Green policies on roads and oil.

It comes after the UK Government rejected Nicola Sturgeon’s claim that the deal makes it ‘impossible’ to stop another referendum.

Mr Neil told the Daily Telegraph the Greens ‘forcing’ the SNP to sign up to ‘damaging’ transport and energy policies in the agreement could backfire on the Nationalists.

Mr Neil said a deal ‘has to be one where common sense prevails and there are aspects where Green policy is damaging to the economy and environment’.

He added: ‘The danger is we will lose more votes as a result of these madcap policies than we will win.’

But Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie wants ‘determined action to deliver a green, fair and affordable transport system’.