TWO Scottish Green MSPs are plotting a joint ticket to oust one of their co-leaders, after Patrick Harvie announced he was stepping down.
Ross Greer, the party’s finance spokesman, and Gillian Mackay, the party’s business manager and who led the campaign to introduce so-called “buffer zones” around abortion clinics, are plotting a push to become co-leaders.
This is despite Lorna Slater, the party’s current co-leader, saying she intends to stand again for leader in the party’s leadership campaign this summer.
A Scottish Green insider said: “Ross and Gillian have a kind of agreement about running together”
It comes after the party’s veteran co-leader Patrick Harvie announced he will step down as leader after almost 17 years in the role – sparking the leadership battle within the party.
Ms Slater and Mr Harvie were elected as co-leaders in 2019, before becoming junior ministers after entering government with the SNP after the 2021 Holyrood election.
However the party was dumped by Humza Yousaf in April 2023 after Mr Harvie’s controversial comments about the Cass review which examined transgender healthcare for young people.
The decision eventually led to Mr Yousaf resigning as First Minister just days later as he faced defeat in a confidence vote.
In a statement on Wednesday morning, Mr Harvie announced he wanted to stay on as an MSP but not as leader.
He said: “It has been an extraordinary privilege to hold leadership roles in the Scottish Greens, first as Co-Convenor and then as part of our first ever Co-Leader team.
“The election of Co-Leaders in a pre-election year is an important moment for the party.
“I won’t be part of the leadership team that fronts up that campaign, but I’m optimistic to see the party choose the people who will do so, and to us building on our record results and delivering the largest possible group of Green MSPs in 2026.”
Any member can put themselves forward for the leadership under Scottish Green rules.
However insiders have said Mr Greer and Ms Mackay have been lining themselves up for the top jobs for months, given the likelihood Mr Harvie would step down from his long-held role.
The internal election will take place this summer, ahead of the Holyrood election in 2026.
