SCOTTISH Greens co-leader Lorna Slater has responded to media claims that her party is “radical”, saying it is “totally unclear” why they are being painted this way.
The MSP for the Lothian region, who has just been appointed Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity, took to social media to hit back at the characterisation of the party.
The Greens have just entered a co-operation agreement with the SNP government after members backed the proposals overwhelmingly. Slater and fellow co-leader Patrick Harvie are both taking on ministerial positions, with Harvie’s remit including active travel, tenants’ rights and net-zero buildings.
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The power sharing deal will see the Greens and SNP government work together on agreed policy areas including independence, rent controls and the climate crisis.
Nicola Sturgeon has said the agreement is not a coalition, but “about doing politics and governance better”.
Together, the SNP and Greens hold a pro-independence majority in the Scottish Parliament.
There have been extreme reactions to the Green and SNP deal with commentators including Andrew Neil among those opposed.
In a Daily Mail column headlined “anti-monarchy, anti-Britain, anti-wealth … what price will Scotland pay for giving power to eco-zealot Marxists?”, Neil branded the Greens “extremists”.
This particular word has also been used extensively by the Scottish Conservatives.
This morning, Slater, formerly an engineer in the renewables sector, brushed off the complaints.
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Screenshotting an excerpt from a Financial Times article – which warned “some business leaders are concerned by the relatively radical and more leftwing approach of the Scottish Green co-leaders” because they want to transition away from oil and gas and demand a “more effective redistribution of wealth – Slater scoffed: “LOL. We’re monsters.”
The party co-leader also responded to right-wing commentary yesterday, writing: “I'm totally unclear why it's called radical to believe that we don't need billionaires, that we do need to prevent #ClimateCatastrophe & that people should be paid fairly for their work.
“I don't mind being called radical, I just don't think that these things are.”
Sturgeon will officially set out the details of her deal with the Greens today as Holyrood returns after the summer recess.
The first day of business is expected to see Harvie and Slater officially appointed as junior ministers. It will be the first time Greens have held such positions anywhere in the UK.
Sturgeon said the “historic cooperation agreement” between the two parties was founded on “a shared drive to work together in the Scottish Government to build a greener, fairer, independent Scotland”.
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