ROBIN Harper has resigned as a member of the Scottish Greens as he believes it has "lost the plot" as a party.
The Green party’s first UK parliamentarian said he was concerned about their stance on independence and trans rights – and quit in a letter to co-leader Patrick Harvie that was sent to the Times newspaper.
The 82-year old served as a Lothians MSP between 1999 and 2011, and wrote that he thought the party had been "moving into the gap left by the socialists".
He added: "The question of independence came into sharp focus for me when I was invited to join the group 'Our Scottish Future', with whom I have since been active.
"The video I recorded for them, which you will find online, sums up my intention to fight any attempt to needlessly destroy the United Kingdom.
"You will also be aware of my serious concerns about the way we are handling the situation with the trans community."
He added: "I am aware that former colleagues and friends in the SGP may be sorry - and even offended - by my decision to resign from the party and I apologise for not attempting to speak up within the party before coming to this decision.
"Nevertheless, I believe that if the Scottish Green Party wishes to retain the respect of the nation, it needs to approach its task with a more constructive mindset and a willingness to co-operate.
He added: “It goes without saying that I remain, as I have been all my life, a passionate champion of the environment."
A spokesperson for the Scottish Greens said: "We thank Robin for what he has done both within Parliament as the first ever Scottish Green MSP and outside it as a tireless advocate for the environment.
"Our party has always been committed to social and environmental justice as well as to independence. With Scottish Greens now in government, we are turning long held policies such as free bus travel for young people, investing in restoring Scotland's natural environment, and a cap on rent rises into reality. This is delivering what Robin and others could only have wished for back in the early days of devolution.
"Independence and human rights, including the rights of trans people, are at the core of our vision and have been since our party was founded over thirty years ago. Our commitment to that vision has seen us achieve record result after record result in recent elections.
"The climate crisis will be the defining environmental issue for this generation and all future generations. It is only by building on this green change that we can deliver a fairer, greener and better future for Scotland."
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel