THE Scottish Greens will hold a special council meeting immediately after the new SNP leader is announced to decide if MSPs should back the winning candidate as First Minister.
Party co-leader Lorna Slater said the decision of members on Monday afternoon will “steer” how the group of Green MSPs will vote in Holyrood the following day – and has not ruled out voting against the SNP’s appointment.
It comes after the party warned the coalition between the SNP and the Scottish Greens “would come to an end” with any veto of the parties’ historic Bute House agreement.
Speaking on BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland programme co-leader Patrick Harvie said: "If there was a Scottish Government, whether it’s the current First Minister who hadn’t resigned and changed her mind, whether it’s a new first minister wanting to rip out parts of that agreement, clearly that agreement would come to an end.”
Speaking on a visit to Star Renewables factory in Glasgow, Slater told The National that once the leader of the SNP has been announced, she and Harvie will seek to speak to them to find out “whether they share our commitment to continuing with the Bute House agreement”.
She said: “We will then communicate to our members, so we have arranged a special council meeting on Monday afternoon, after we hear the result, so that our members can give us a steer on whether they feel that Bute House can continue, which is very much what we hope and intend, as we are committed to that.
“And then that will guide us on Tuesday – members will give the MSP group a steer on how they would like us to vote on Tuesday when we vote for the new First Minister.”
When asked if there was the possibility of not voting for the new First Minister, she said: “That will remain for the steer that the party gives us.
“We are obviously very much hoping that Bute House will continue, we consider that the default option, but Bute House is a set of measures that go together and if the new First Minister can commit to Bute House fully, then we are happy to sign up and that is the recommendation we will make to party members – but we will see what they say.”
She added: “We would go along with what the party has recommended.”
The result of the SNP leadership contest between Kate Forbes, Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan will be announced on Monday afternoon.
MSPs will vote for their preferred candidate the following day, with the successful candidate elected by a simple majority.
The SNP has 64 MSPs and the Scottish Greens have 7, while the Conservatives have 31, Labour 22 and the Liberal Democrats have 4, with the Presiding Officer bringing the total number to 129.
