26 cabinet meetings but Green Ministers aren’t invited to a single one
‘Green-washing’ claim as SNP ‘treats them with contempt’
NICOLA Sturgeon has delivered a humiliating snub to her Green Ministers, failing to invite them to a single cabinet meeting.
Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater have been shut out of all 26 official gatherings of the First Minister’s top team since joining her government six months ago.
Last night, Scots Tories said she was treating her junior coalition partners ‘with contempt’.
After the Greens agreed to prop up the SNP in August, Ms Sturgeon created ministerial posts for their co-leaders, which came with £30,000 taxpayer-funded pay rises.
Mr Harvie is Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights, while Ms Slater’s remit is Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity.
Not all Ministers will attend every Cabinet meeting but both are meant to be present at least twice a year, and under the coalition deal should be there ‘when matters within their portfolios are discussed’. The drive to net zero climate emissions is supposed to be a key aim for the Scottish Government.
The two Ministers have hit the headlines in recent months, due to high-profile issues within their areas of responsibility.
Ms Slater’s deposit return scheme for cans and bottles has been delayed twice and will now not be delivered until August 2023.
And there are fears Scots will face massive cost hikes under Mr Harvie’s plans to make them install environmentally friendly heating systems over the coming years.
Their non-attendance at cabinet was uncovered by a freedom of information request by the Tories. Last night the party warned the snub suggests their roles in government are ‘little more than green-washing’ by Ms Sturgeon, who was keen to bolster her environmental credentials when Cop26 took place in Glasgow last year.
Liam Kerr, Scottish Conservative net zero spokesman, said: ‘By excluding her Green Ministers from cabinet, Nicola Sturgeon is treating them with contempt and stopping herself from being able to keep tabs on what they are up to.
‘And, given the problems in both their portfolios, she ought to be keeping a tight rein on them.
‘It beggars belief the deposit return scheme and the heat in buildings strategy are not deemed important enough to be discussed at cabinet when they are a critical part of the drive to net zero.
‘This snub from the First Minister is humiliating for the Greens and suggests she views their roles as little more than green-washing for her government.’
A Government spokesman said: ‘As stated in the co-operation agreement, the First Minister will invite the Green Party co-leaders to cabinet at least twice a year. The first meeting is due in April.’
The Greens last night claimed they had already made an impact in government. A spokesman said: ‘We’ve seen a ban on the worst single-use plastics and record investment in recycling.’