Scottish Greens


The Scottish Greens, also known as the Scottish Green Party, are a green political party in Scotland. The party has 7 MSPs of 129 in the Scottish Parliament, and holds 31 of the 1,226 councillors at local government level in Scotland. The party held two ministerial posts in the Scottish Government under First Ministers Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf respectively, following a power-sharing agreement with the SNP effective from August 2021 until the end of the Bute House Agreement in April 2024, marking the first time Green Party politicians formed part of a government in the UK.
The Scottish Greens were created in 1990 when the former Green Party separated into two independent parties, representing Scotland and England and Wales. The party is affiliated to the Global Greens and the European Green Party. Party membership increased dramatically following the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, during which it supported Scotland regaining its independence from the United Kingdom.

History

Origins in the Ecology Party (1978–1999)

The Scottish Green Party originated as the Scottish branch of the Ecology Party, founded in 1978 by Leslie Spoor. The Ecology Party became the UK Green Party and it remained a constituent party until 1990, when the Scottish Green Party became a separate entity.
The 1990 Highland Regional Council election gave the Greens their first ever councillor in the UK. Roger Winter, representing the Highland Green Party, was elected in Nairn. However, Cllr Winter broke away from the Greens in 1991 and continued his four-year term as an Independent Green Highlander.

First electoral successes (1999–2013)

Successful Scottish elections

In the first election to this Parliament, in 1999, the Scottish Green Party got one Member of the Scottish Parliament elected by proportional representation, Robin Harper, the UK's first elected Green parliamentarian.
In the 2003 Scottish Parliament election, the Scottish Greens added six new MSPs to their previous total. The result was a surprise for the party. Afterwards, Harper stood for election for First Minister, securing six votes.
Despite the breakthrough in Holyrood, the party failed to elect any candidates in the 2004 European Parliament election, 2005 Westminster elections.
In the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, the party lost five seats in Holyrood, leaving the party with just two MSPs. The result was disappointing as polls initially suggested the party would remain with seven MSPs. However, in the council elections, taking place under the new Single Transferable Vote voting system, they gained three Councillors on the City of Edinburgh Council and five Councillors on Glasgow City Council.
Co-convenor Robin Harper blamed the loss on spoiled ballot papers and the campaign focusing on larger parties.

Supporters of the first SNP government

Despite the loss of MSPs, the party gained influence with the new SNP government. On 11 May, the Greens signed an agreement with the Scottish National Party, which meant that the Greens voted for Alex Salmond as First Minister and supported his initial Ministerial appointments. In return, the SNP backed a climate change bill as an early measure and promised to legislate against ship-to-ship oil transfers in the Firth of Forth. The SNP also agreed to nominate Patrick Harvie, one of the Green MSPs, to convene the Scottish Parliament Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change.
Differences, primarily over transport policy, were cited for the limited nature of the agreement. But they left open the door to further negotiations should the Scottish Liberal Democrats join the First Salmond government.
During the election, co-convenor Shiona Baird lost her seat, and did not re-stand for election as co-convenor. She was replaced by then Edinburgh councillor Alison Johnstone in November 2007.
Robin Harper and Johnstone did not seek re-election in 2008 as co-convenor. While Harvie was the sole nominee for the male co-convenor, there was 3 candidates for female co-convenor: former MSP Eleanor Scott, Glasgow councillor Nina Baker and Edinburgh councillor Maggie Chapman. The role of female co-convenor was won by Scott.
During the 2009 Scottish budget process, the Scottish Greens demanded an £1 billion home insulation programme over 10 years. The SNP Scottish Government offered £22 million for a 'pilot' project. The party decided this compromise was not acceptable.
On 28 January 2009, the two Green MSPs were instrumental in the defeat of the Government's budget. The move surprised some commentators, whose leadership had until this point been marked with increased cooperation with the SNP government.
A slightly amended version of the budget was passed easily the following week with the support of other parties.

2011 Scottish parliament election

At the party's 2010 conference, Robin Harper announced that he would not seek re-election in the 2011 Scottish Parliament election. The party's election campaign was launched with a focus on investment into public services paid for by tax raises. In the end, the party only elected 2 MSPs in the 2011.
Despite not moving forward, the party was the only 'minor' Scottish party which achieved representation in the Scottish Parliament after 2011 when the Scottish Socialist Party, Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party and others lost seats.

Independence referendum and rapid growth (2014–2019)

2014 Independence referendum

In November 2013, Edinburgh councillor Maggie Chapman succeeded Glasgow councillor Martha Wardrop as the party's female co-convenor after she did not seek re-election, while Patrick Harvie was re-elected.
During the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, the party participated in the cross-party Yes Scotland campaign in favour of Scottish independence. Co-convenor Patrick Harvie sat on the campaign's advisory board. Briefly, the party withdrew from Yes Scotland. However, the party's 2012 conference overturned the decision. The party also joined the Radical Independence Campaign.
The party's own campaign of 'Green Yes' launched in October 2013, and advocated that only independence could deliver radical change, with Harvie also arguing that the party's vision of independence was progressive, and explicitly not nationalistic. He also argued that devolution did not go far enough to tackle issues important to Scots like austerity.
However, some in the party were opposed to independence, including former convenor Robin Harper who said that he would "absolutely vote No".
After the independence referendum, the Scottish Greens experienced a massive surge in membership, including future co-leader Lorna Slater. The party claimed that, for a period in the day after the referendum, it gained a member every 15 seconds.
The party's then co-convenors, Harvie and Chapman were chosen by the party to serve as its representatives on the post-referendum Smith Commission. The party argued that full powers on income tax, the bulk of welfare policy, energy, transport, employment law and human rights law should be transferred to Holyrood.

2016 Scottish Parliament election and Brexit

In 2015, Maggie Chapman was challenged as co-convenor by activist Zara Kitson in the party's internal elections. The election was notable as it was the first time an incumbent co-convenor faced a serious challenge, all to date had been re-elected as the sole nominees. Chapman was re-elected.
In the leadup to the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, the party campaigned with a focus on tax-rises for the rich, with co-convenor Patrick Harvie saying it would be "agenda item one" in any post-election talks with the SNP. The party's selection process of co-convenor Maggie Chapman as lead candidate in the North East Scotland region for the 2016 election attracted controversy.
In the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, the party won 6 more seats, its best result since 2003. The result pushed the party ahead of the Scottish Liberal Democrats in seat numbers, making it the fourth-largest party for the first time. The Scottish Greens also elected the youngest MSP ever, Ross Greer at the age of 21.
In the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, the party called for a 'Remain' vote. Subsequently, the party began more strongly advocating for a second Scottish independence referendum.
In February 2015, the party announced that it would field candidates in 32 seats for the 2015 United Kingdom general election with 40% of their candidates being women. In 2017 the party generated some controversy by standing only 3 candidates at the general election. In the 2019 general election they contested significantly more seats in 22 constituencies. They failed to win any seats and lost their deposit in every contest.
The 2017 Scottish local elections saw 'real progress' with the party returning 14 councillors across Scotland, with 8 in the City of Edinburgh Council.

Inaugural co-leaders and first Green ministers (2019–present)

The Scottish Greens contested the 2019 European Parliament election in the United Kingdom, with co-convenor Maggie Chapman as lead candidate and rising stars Lorna Slater and Gillian Mackay also on the list. The party failed to elect any MEPs despite other Green parties having significant success across Europe.
In August 2019, a newly adopted constitution by the party led to the 2019 Scottish Green Party co-leadership election, where Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater were elected as co-leaders with 43.1% and 30.2% respectively.

2021 Scottish Parliament election and power-sharing agreement

In the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, the party won a record eight Holyrood seats. Alison Johnstone was one of the eight MSPs elected for the Scottish Greens in the election, however on 13 May 2021 she gave up her party affiliation in order to become Holyrood's Presiding Officer as the position is a politically neutral role. File:Agreement_with_Scottish_Green_Party_.jpg|thumb|267x267px|Harvie and Slater with Nicola Sturgeon announcing the SNP-Green power-sharing deal.
After two months of negotiations, on 20 August 2021, the Scottish Greens announced a new power-sharing agreement with the SNP Scottish Government. While not an official coalition, for the first time in Scottish and UK history it offered the Greens two ministerial posts. The agreement saw both parties pledge for a second referendum on Scottish independence, an increase investment in active travel and public transport, enhancing tenants rights, a ten-year £500m Just Transition and establishing a National Care Service. The agreement was approved by 83% of Scottish Green members, and secured a two-thirds majority vote of the party's National Council. This was required under the party's constitution for the agreement to be ratified.
Academic Professor Nicola McEwen suggested that the agreement "sometimes pushes further" particularly on climate, social and fair work policy. She also argues that the two parties had already converged on many issues over the preceding decade. However, critics and supporters of the party agreed that the agreement had allowed the party to have a lot of influence on the Scottish government.After the election of Humza Yousaf as Leader of the Scottish National Party, the Scottish Green Party National Council unanimously voted to direct its MSPs to vote for Yousaf to become First Minister and continue their power-sharing agreement. During the leadership campaign, the party had suggested it would not support a government led by the other candidates. The party's co-leaders served as ministers in the first Yousaf government from March 2023 to April 2024.
In government, the party introduced the first government bill from a Green Minister.
On 3 August 2023, Robin Harper, the party's first MSP resigned, claiming the party had 'lost the plot'. Harper announced he would vote Labour in the 2024 UK general election. Nonetheless, the party also enjoyed an unprecedented level of support.