Green leadership contest 'wide open', says Slater

The Scottish Green leadership contest is "wide open", according to Lorna Slater.

The MSP, who has led the party along with Patrick Harvie since 2019, confirmed she will stand for re-election in this summer's ballot.

Harvie announced earlier this month he would stand down as co-leader in the summer after almost 17 years in the role.

Slater also rejected a claim from a former party official that a Green "clique" at Holyrood was "viciously" hoarding power away from members.

She spoke ahead of the party's spring conference in Stirling this weekend.

The Scottish Greens elect co-leaders every two years, with the winners of this year's contest expected to be announced in August.

Any member can stand as a candidate, though one of the co-chiefs has to be a woman.

Slater said she expected many members of the party to stand, including several MSPs.

"The field is really wide open," she told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland.

"I would invite all members to consider putting themselves forward. The more options for leadership, the better [for] democracy and the better debate we can have within the party."

Tensions between grassroots Greens and senior party members have simmered for some time. Last year's conference was disrupted by a row about a vote on the government's plans for a National Care Service.

Glasgow councillor Dan Hutchison has called for the party to elect a councillor as one of the co-leaders.

He wrote in the Green Left Scotland blog: "I want someone to lead us who sits with their community council every month and aren't swept up in the circus of Holyrood."

The National reported in March that the co-chair of the party's executive, Jen Bell, resigned after seven months in the role.

She claimed there was a "clique" in the Green group at Holyrood who "jealously, viciously, hoard their privilege from outsiders".

Slater said she did not recognise that description.

She told the BBC the party's Holyrood group had "worked really well together" and did its "absolute best" to work with members.

"Of course, it is our members who drive not only policy, but things like deciding whether to go into the co-operation agreement with the Scottish government," the co-leader said.

"All of that comes from grassroots levels, and we always endeavour to make sure that it is our members that are at the front of everything.

"Which isn't to say we can't always improve."

Meanwhile, Harvie said he was disappointed that Green members had criticised party politicians in briefings to the media.

He told the Daily Record: "There is a very small number of people in the party who indulge in that kind of thing - frankly, insulting other party members and undermining their work."

Slater served as a Scottish government minister for three years under a Green-SNP power-sharing agreement.

Her time in government came to an end a year ago this month, when former first minister Humza Yousaf ripped up the deal.

The co-leader insisted she was "really proud" of what the Greens achieved in government. She cited increases in the Scottish Child Payment, extra funding for nature restoration, a free bus travel scheme and the introduction of emergency rent controls.

While in government, Slater was criticised for overseeing the introduction of a beleaguered a bottle return deposit scheme.

Since the collapse of the power-sharing deal, SNP ministers have rowed back on key greenhouse gas emissions targets and flagship plans to make homeowners switch to greener heating soon after buying a new home.

"We were able to push the government so much further when we were in the room," Slater said.

"We work well with the SNP, even in opposition, we always aim to be constructive, and we're going to continue to push them."

With a Holyrood election in May next year, Slater said Green conference would be an opportunity to promote "a progressive party, pro-independence party".

She described the Green as "the one party in Scotland who is absolutely committed to tackling the climate crisis and to pushing back against that far right agenda that we see rising up all over the world".