History of the Scottish Greens
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Scottish Green Party | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Co-Leaders | |
| Council Co-Convenors |
|
| Executive Co-Chairs | Ross Greer |
| Founded | 1990 |
| Preceded by | Green Party (UK) |
| Headquarters | 17b Graham Street Edinburgh EH6 5QN |
| Youth wing | Scottish Young Greens |
| Women's wing | Scottish Greens Women's Network |
| LGBTQ+ wing | Rainbow Greens[1] |
| Membership (2023) |  7,646[2] |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Centre-left[5] to left-wing[6] |
| European affiliation | European Green Party |
| International affiliation | Global Greens |
| Colours | Green |
| Slogan | For People. For Planet.[7] |
| Scottish seats in the House of Commons | 0 / 59 |
| Scottish Parliament | 7 / 129 |
| Local government in Scotland[8] | 35 / 1,227 |
| Party flag | |
 | |
The Scottish Greens is a centre-left[9] to left-wing[10] green political party in Scotland that was founded in 1990.
The party has its roots in the PEOPLE Party started in Coventry in 1972/3. That party then changed its name to the more descriptive Ecology Party in 1975, and to the Green Party ten years later. In its guise as the Ecology Party, a branch was founded in Edinburgh by Leslie Spoor, which was the party's beginning.[11]
In 1990, the Scottish and Northern Ireland wings of the Green Party in the United Kingdom decided to separate amicably from the party in England and Wales, to form the Scottish Green Party and the Green Party in Northern Ireland.
The party entered the country's devolved legislature since the 1999 Scottish parliament election with the election of Robin Harper as its first MSP. With the Bute House Agreement in 2021, the party entered government for the first time, with co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater appointed government ministers.[12]
The Scottish Green Party originated as the Scottish branch of the Ecology Party, founded in 1978 by Leslie Spoor.[11] The Ecology Party became the UK Green Party and it remained a constituent party until 1990, when the Scottish Green Party became a separate entity.
The separation was entirely amicable, as part of the green commitment to decentralisation. The predecessor party opposed Britain's entry into the European Common Market in its 1989 European election manifesto, claiming that the Common Market would cause mass unemployment for Scottish workers, force Scotland to move towards a tourist-based economy, enable the destruction of local food markets and cause catastrophic environmental damage.[13] Instead, it campaigned for a Europe-wide confederation of individuals on global issues affecting the environment.
The 1990 Highland Regional Council election gave the Greens their first ever councillor in the UK.[14] Roger (aka Rory) Winter, representing the Highland Green Party (Known in Scottish Gaelic as Uainich na Gàidhealtachd), was elected in Nairn. However, Cllr Winter broke away from the Greens in 1991 and continued his four-year term as an Independent Green Highlander.
In 1997, the Green parties of the United Kingdom were described as "stunningly unsuccessful" as despite the strength of the environmental movement, and their status as the oldest green parties in Europe, they had as yet no electoral success.[15][16]
First electoral successes (1999–2007)
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The Scottish Green Party has its most prominent presence in the Scottish Parliament, which is elected using the additional member system of proportional representation. In the first election to this Parliament, in 1999, the Scottish Green Party got one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) elected by proportional representation, Robin Harper, the UK's first elected Green parliamentarian (George MacLeod had previously represented the UK Green Party in the House of Lords).
In the 2003 Scottish Parliament election, the Scottish Greens added six new MSPs to their previous total.[17] The result was a surprise for the party, with newly elected MSP, and party election co-ordinator credited the 'Second Vote Green' message, lack of confidence in the SNP, and Harper's leadership.[18] However, the party was still small, with its 2001 conference attracting just 35 members. In the Scottish Parliament's post-election briefing, political scientist John Curtice warned that the focus on the 'Second Vote Green' strategy made the party's vote fragile, and depended on voters seeing the election as unimportant.[19]
Afterwards, Harper stood for election for First Minister, securing six votes.[20]
We had very little money, few activists outside Edinburgh and Glasgow, a tiny and damp national office, two paid staff members, and generally had to beg or borrow resources (including sometimes having to rely on the WiFi from the Pub across the road to send press releases)
— then MSP Mark Ballard, speaking about the party's 2003 election campaign
In the European Parliament election of 2004, it polled 6.8% of the vote and did not return any MEPs.[21]
In February 2005, the party announced plans to field candidates in 19 seats in the 2005 Westminster elections.[22] At the election, the party contested 19 seats and polled 25,760 votes, however they returned no MPs. Its highest share of the vote was 7.7% of the vote in Glasgow North.
At the party's 2005 conference, a motion passed to support Scottish independence.[23]
Increased influence of the Government (2007–2014)
2007 Scottish Parliament election
Heading into the election, the party felt confident. At its 2005 conference, then co-convenors Harper and Baird said the party had emerged as a "major new force in politics" and that they expected to hold the balance of power in the next Parliament, as well as elect councillors for the first time.[24]
At the start of 2007, polls indicated that the party would replicate its 2003 Scottish Parliament election result and re-elect 7 MSPs.[25] However, polls later narrowed, with one suggesting the party would only retain a single MSP.[26] Despite polls narrowing internally, Eddie Barnes suggested that the party remained confident, planning to be a king-maker and influence government from the outside.[26]
In the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, the party lost five seats in Holyrood, leaving the party with just 2 MSPs. However, in the council elections, taking place under the new Single Transferable Vote voting system, they gained three Councillors on the City of Edinburgh Council and five Councillors on Glasgow City Council.
Co-convenor Robin Harper blamed the loss on spoiled ballot papers and the campaign focusing on larger parties.[27] This analysis was shared among the other smaller parties that lost out. Other commentators noted controversial policies in the manifesto such as integrating religious schools into nondenominational schools and the campaign's increased focus on Labour and the SNP.[28]
Supporters of the first SNP government
Despite the loss of MSPs, the party gained influence with the new SNP government. On 11 May, the Greens signed an agreement with the Scottish National Party (SNP), which meant that the Greens voted for Alex Salmond as First Minister and supported his initial Ministerial appointments.[29][30] In return, the SNP backed a climate change bill as an early measure and promised to legislate against ship-to-ship oil transfers in the Firth of Forth. The SNP also agreed to nominate Patrick Harvie, one of the Green MSPs, to convene the Scottish Parliament Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change.
Differences, primarily over transport policy, were cited for the limited nature of the agreement.[29] But they left open the door to further negotiations should the Scottish Liberal Democrats join the First Salmond government.
Given the present situation that (the SNP) are going to be forming a minority government, it really didn't seem to make sense for us to tie ourselves closely into confidence and supply or into coalition, because we have serious reservations about many SNP policies, particularly their transport policies
— then MSP Robin Harper, speaking to BBC Scotland.[29]
During the election, co-convenor Shiona Baird lost her seat, and did not re-stand for election as co-convenor. She was replaced by then Edinburgh councillor Alison Johnstone in November 2007.[31]
Robin Harper and Johnstone did not seek re-election in 2008 as co-convenor. While Harvie was the sole nominee for the male co-convenor, there was 3 candidates for female co-convenor: former MSP Eleanor Scott, Glasgow councillor Nina Baker and Edinburgh councillor Maggie Chapman.[32] The role of female co-convenor was won by Scott.[33][34]
2009 Scottish budget negotiations
During the 2009 Scottish budget process, the Scottish Greens demanded an £1 billion home insulation programme over 10 years.[35] The SNP Scottish Government offered £22 million for a 'pilot' project. The party then demanded a £33 million pilot for their backing of the budget, which the SNP refused.
On 28 January 2009, the two Green MSPs were instrumental in the defeat of the Government's budget.[36] The party's co-convenor Patrick Harvie blamed this on the government's funding proposal for the pilot being "too vague" on whether it would be "new money" or from pre-existing local authority budgets.[37] The move surprised some commentators, whose leadership had until this point been marked with increased cooperation with the SNP government.[37]
A slightly amended version of the budget was passed easily the following week with the support of other parties[38]
Campaigning against Donald Trump
On 31 May 2009, Cllr Martin Ford, formerly a Liberal Democrat, joined the Scottish Green Party in protest against the plans by Donald Trump to develop on an important environmental site at Menie.[39]
On 13 October 2009, he was joined by fellow former Liberal Democrat Cllr Debra Storr.[40] Both Councillors continued to serve on Aberdeenshire Council as members of the Democratic Independent group.[41] At the 2012 Scottish local elections Councillor Debra Storr stood down to concentrate on her professional career.[42] Councillor Martin Ford was re-elected, this time standing as a Scottish Green Party candidate.
2011 Scottish parliament election
At the party's 2010 conference, Robin Harper announced that he would not seek re-election in the 2011 Scottish Parliament election.[43][44] He was succeeded as Lothians lead candidate by Edinburgh councillor Alison Johnstone.
The party's election campaign was launched with a focus on investment into public services paid for by tax raises.[45] There was scepticism in reporting on whether the proposals had been 'fully costed' but Harvie and Johnstone were both considered to be "impressive" candidates [46] During the campaign, Johnstone launched pledges to maintain free tuition fees, invest in graduate jobs in low carbon industry and create a free universal insulation scheme.[47][48][49] The scheme was a revival of the party's proposal during the 2009 Scottish budget process.[50]
In the end, the party only elected 2 MSPs in 2011.[51] Some commentators argued that the party's "hard left economic agenda" had distracted from their environmental agenda, losing it votes.[52] Voices from within the party disagreed, considering the lack of gains to come from poor capacity, not policy.
James Dennison notes that, despite not moving forward, the party was the only 'minor' Scottish party which achieved representation in the Scottish Parliament after 2011 when the Scottish Socialist Party, Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party and others lost seats.[53]
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