The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Greens deal blow to hope of independence alliance
Holyrood: Harvie believes plan is a ‘cynical’ attempt to ‘game the system’
A bid by a former SNP MSP to maximise the independence vote at Holyrood has been dealt a serious blow after the Greens refused to co-operate with the controversial plan.
Green co-convener Patrick Harvie has rejected Dave Thompson’s Alliance for Independence (AFI), describing it as a “cynical” attempt to “game” the Holyrood system.
Mr Thompson, a former MSP for Skye Lochaber and Badenoch, quit the SNP after 55 years to form the
“People will see through that as a transparently cynical move”
AFI, which aims to capture up to 24 Holyrood list seats by acting as an umbrella group for the smaller Yes-supporting parties outside the SNP.
A key part of his strategy is to get the independence-backing Greens, Tommy Sheridan’s Solidarity party, the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) and the newlyformed Independence for Scotland (ISP) party to join his alliance.
The AFI has been created with the specific aim of attracting these parties to maximise the pro-independence representation at Holyrood.
Mr Thompson plans to negotiate with them where their candidates should stand on the list system in order to boost the AFI’s chances of success.
The organisation was formed in response to Holyrood’s electoral system, which was created to ensure parties that capture a high number of first-past-the-post constituency seats do not do so well when it comes to the top-up list seats, which are calculated by proportional representation.
Mr Thompson said the AFI would be contacting the Greens, Solidarity, the SSP and ISP shortly.
“The only policy we will insist on is that they support independence and support the SNP Government in gaining independence,” he said.
“In all other matters, a small party can follow its own programme.”
The AFI will only field candidates for list seats and encourage independence supporters to back the SNP in the constituencies.
“We will be encouraging all Yes supporters to back the SNP, so they get the majority, if not all, of the constituencies in Scotland next time.
“Our aim is to get anything from 12 to 24 of the regional list seats and, added to the SNP in terms of support for independence, that will give us a super-majority in parliament,” he said.
But Mr Thompson’s overtures were rejected by Mr Harvie, who added his voice to those who have accused the AFI of exploiting the rules to skew the parliament so it fails to represent the Scottish population as a whole.
Asked if he would accept Mr Thompson’s invitation, Mr Harvie replied: “The simple answer to the simple question is no.”
He added: “We have already selected our candidates for the election. But even if that weren’t the case, Greens stand on a clear, well-defined political platform.
“We have had Green MSPs elected in every single session of the Scottish Parliament and there is a huge difference between trying to put forward a distinct political proposition and trying to game the system and I think people will see through that as a transparently cynical move.”
The AFI has submitted its constitution to the Electoral Commission for approval and will hold an autumn conference at which potential Plan Bs to Nicola Sturgeon’s approach to independence are debated.