Ross Greer: Forbes exit makes post election SNP Greens deal 'easier'

The Herald Scotland

3 days ago

Ms Forbes, who has a three year old daughter, and three older step daughters, said she wanted to spend more time with her family.
Mr Greer is currently standing in the Scottish Greens leadership contest following the decision by current co-leader Patrick Harvie to step down from the role.
At his campaign launch in Edinburgh last month, he made clear he would like to see his party return to power with the SNP after the next Scottish Parliament elections and less keen on striking a deal with Labour.
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However, some in his party would be reluctant to go into government with the SNP with Ms Forbes as Deputy First Minister regarding both her economic outlook and her socially conservative views including against equal marriage as major barriers to a new deal.
The Herald on Sunday asked Mr Greer now that Ms Forbes would be leaving Holyrood, would a new BHA be easier to achieve.
"It is no secret that Kate Forbes believes in things that are fundamentally at odds with what the Scottish Greens believe in on LGBT rights, for instance marriage or trans rights, but also on economics as well," he said.
"Kate's economics are clearly to the right of where the SNP has been in the last decade and well to the right of the Scottish Greens. On a personal level it is difficult for me as a queer man to be siting across from someone I know doesn't believe I should have the same rights under the law that she does.
"But Kate is stepping down and the reasons why she is stepping down I have a huge amount of sympathy for. The parliament and our political culture have not done nearly enough for people to get into and stay in elected office and have a family."
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes (Image: PA) He added: "As far as the Scottish Greens are concerned I think we have a moral obligation to seize the opportunity to deliver the kind of fairer and greener Scotland we believe in. We will not lift children out of poverty, we will not save a single species by remaining in opposition for the rest of our lives.
"When we where in government we delivered transformational policies...we shouldn't be afraid of being in a position of power and influence."
He was pressed if Ms Forbes leaving Holyrood at next May's election made it easier for the SNP and Greens to strike a post election governing deal.
'The short answer is yes," he said.
"But I am not saying deal between the SNP and Greens is likely.
'There is an election to happen. It is for the public to decide what the balance of the parties is in the parliament. There is only going to be a Green SNP deal if there is a Green SNP majority.
'But there is no doubt Kate's position on equality issues particularly and her position on economics would have been a huge barrier to significant co operation between the two parties."
He said it was too early to say what his party's prospective negotiations positions or red lines could be.
However, he pointed to a ban on conversion practices and fossil fuel heatings systems in homes as possible issues. Both were sidelined by the Scottish Government following the collapse of the BHA with ministers in Edinburgh opting to see what progress the UK Government would do on the former.
"The SNP dropping its commitment to ban so-called conversion therapy was absolutely gutting," he said.
"This is a form of torture against the LGBT community. Personally I would want a conversion therapy ban to be part of any future government programme the Greens were involved with. But setting red lines is for our membership as a whole. We are a genuinely democratic party."
Mr Greer, who helped to negotiate the BHA with Nicola Sturgeon's government in 2021, pointed to recent polling suggesting his party could get 15 or 16 MSPs putting it in a strong position to re-enter government with the SNP which polling suggest looks like to be returned as the largest party but with fewer MSPs.
He said there was an opportunity for the Greens to build support among progressive voters as he accused Labour of moving more to the right since coming to government by defeating the Conservatives at last year's general election and the SNP moving to the centre ground.
"The is a huge gap opening up in Scottish politics. Labour have moved to the right. We have a UK Labour Government which looks and feels a lot like the government it replaced while the SNP have moved to the centre," he said.
"They have dropped a lot of progressive policies which we were pursuing jointly when we were in government. That leaves the Scottish Greens as the only party unequivocally on the progressive left."
Announcing her intention to stand down as an MSP next May, the DFM said: 'I have grown up in the public eye, getting married, having a baby and raising a young family. I have consistently put the public's needs ahead of my family's during that time.
"I am grateful to them for accommodating the heavy demands of being a political figure. Looking ahead to the future, I do not want to miss any more of the precious early years of family life – which can never be rewound."
Scottish Labour Deputy Leader Jackie Baillie said 'The Scottish Greens gave up the last of their credibility during their shambolic stint in government.
'Labour has ended over a decade of devastating Tory austerity and is delivering the greatest upgrade to workers rights in a generation and a publicly-owned energy company.
'The truth is only Scottish Labour can put an end to SNP failure and deliver a new direction for Scotland, our public services, our economy and our environment.'
The SNP was approached for comment.