Latest news with #HolyroodElection
BBC News
21-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Patrick Harvie sees off Green challenge for top election spot
Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie has seen off a campaign to replace him as the party's top candidate in Glasgow at the 2026 Holyrood a ballot of party members, the outgoing co-chief secured the top place on the Glasgow regional list, which is likely to secure him re-election to Holyrood.A slate of self-described "radical" Green members - who were critical of his time leading the party - had sought to replace other regional ballots, most sitting Green MSPs secured the top place on the list. The results follow infighting about the direction of the party, which has been described as a "civil war" by some insiders. A number of party activists have questioned the period the Greens spent in government with the SNP and claimed that power within the party had been concentrated in too small a recently told BBC Scotland News that the behaviour of some figures had been "out of order". Holyrood's longest-serving party chief, Harvie announced in April that he would not seek re-election as Green co-leader. However, he will seek re-election as an MSP, having been first elected on the Glasgow regional list in 2003. Along with his co-leader Slater, he was the first Green minister in the UK after his party signed the power-sharing deal with the SNP in 2021. Under the electoral system for Holyrood, the regional list vote involves parties ranking their candidates. The higher an individual appears on the list, the better their chance is of becoming an candidates for the party's two co-leadership positions - Gillian Mackay, Ross Greer and Lorna Slater - have all secured top spot in their regions. All three are defenders of the time the Greens spent in government with the North East MSP Maggie Chapman was ranked second, making re-election more came under fire earlier this year when she criticised the judiciary over the Supreme Court's ruling on the definition of a woman. In 2023, she expressed regret for a social media post claiming the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel was an act of "decolonisation", not "terrorism". Leadership contest Green leaders serve two-year terms and under party rules one of them has to be a Green member can stand for the leadership, meaning there could yet be a leadership challenge from the grassroots of the contest is expected to be decided by the end of August. Looking at the results of the internal elections for the regional lists, it appears that members have backed those who have been prominent in the party in recent activists have been vocal about their disappointment with the party's – at least for now – the 7,000 Scottish Green members seem to have given a vote of confidence to those who have been running the that could have implications beyond the Greens. The sitting MSPs have shown they are willing to do deals with the could prove to be important after next year's Holyrood election.
BBC News
19-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Are the Scottish Greens descending into civil war?
Patrick Harvie has been a Green MSP for more than 20 years - but now a group of his own local activists want to replace just one of the latest twists in a series of internal disputes that have been rumbling away in the Scottish this is going on as the party searches for two co-leaders to take it into the next Holyrood Harvie is standing down from one of these positions. He's proud of his record, though he believes political circumstances kept him in the role for too longest-serving leader in Scottish politics still wants to go back to Holyrood at the 2026 a group of "radical" Green activists are now looking to replace him as the party's top MSP candidate in Glasgow, a position that more or less guarantees part of what some in the party are calling the "Glasgow Faction", and they're critical of how the Greens have operated in recent contest has become something of a proxy battle for the direction of the party. In a social media campaign video, three activists - Ellie Gomersall, Iris Duane and Councillor Seonad Hoy - argue that "a fresh start" is needed, and that internal power has been "consolidated into a smaller and smaller group of people".They're critical of the time the Greens spent in government with the SNP, saying there was a lack of investment in communities during that period.I contacted all three to try and speak to them for this article but couldn't secure any Harvie spoke to me for 30 minutes near his office in gave a passionate defence of the Bute House Agreement – the deal that took the party into government with the SNP between 2021 and outgoing co-leader insisted that politics requires compromise, adding that "for a long time the Greens sometimes were guilty of - and sometimes even felt satisfied about - just saying 'we're right, everyone else is wrong'."Sometimes that can make activists feel satisfied. But it doesn't achieve very much. And I think to a lot of voters it comes across as smugness."He won't name names but says some individuals "never accepted the legitimacy of the decision on the Bute House Agreement and set out to try and undermine not just the position of the party but some of the individuals [involved]. That behaviour is out of order". But one party insider, who wanted to remain anonymous, accused the Green leadership of using "a made-up tale about 'factions' to shore up their own position and drive out any minor dissent".They added that a lack of tolerating alternative views about the Bute House Agreement made the Greens look "petty".The disagreements go beyond this one selection battle in vocal critic of the party leadership, Niall Christie, was a candidate in Glasgow at the general election last complaints, he's been suspended as a member while candidate selections are under way. Some have questioned if there's a political motivation behind this party refused to comment on this disciplinary Green Party figure told me that despite a "happy clappy" reputation there's been a "civil war" going on for some time, with members leaking material to journalists and briefing against one said the culture had become "much worse" since the recent leadership contest began. And they claimed that arguments framed as policy disagreements were actually more to do with "personal beefs".The same individual was critical of the "Glasgow Faction", saying these activists believed "if we go out with our banners and flags eventually we'll win. They think we can activate the proletariat, but that's not how the world works". These divisions may well spill into the ongoing leadership co-leader Lorna Slater is seeking re-election to one of the two positions. And fellow MSPs Gillian Mackay and Ross Greer have also launched Greer is close to outgoing party leader Patrick Harvie and was involved in the drafting of the Bute House Agreement. Ms Mackay said she was "upset" when that deal came to an co-leaders don't have to be MSPs, and some are predicting a challenge from a grassroots Scottish Greens are perhaps suffering from the inevitable consequences of their own they're an important political party - with a taste for government and a cohort of engaged relevance can often intensify internal disagreements. There's more at stake for each "side" in these do these internal squabbles really matter to anyone beyond the 7,000 members the party has?When you cast an eye over at the polls looking ahead to the Holyrood election in 2026, it's looking likely that any government will need the support of at least one other Greens have the potential to be kingmakers. And whether or not they will support a government – and the terms on which they will do so – could ultimately have a much broader direction this party takes in the coming months, and how these arguments play out, may have an impact well beyond the Scottish Green membership.
Daily Mail
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Confident Kemi says: 'We can beat the SNP in constituencies across the country... anything can happen'
Kemi Badenoch has insisted the Scottish Conservatives could beat the SNP in constituencies up and down the country at the Holyrood election next year. The UK Tory leader suggested the party would take the fight to the Nationalists at the 2026 parliamentary vote, adding: 'Anything can happen.' In an interview with The Mail, Ms Badenoch said the Scottish Conservatives - led by her colleague Russell Findlay - could make gains beyond their traditional supporter base in the North East and in the Scottish Borders. It comes as in a speech to the party's conference at Murrayfield, Edinburgh, on Saturday Mr Findlay laid bare his ambitious plans to oust First Minister John Swinney from his Perthshire North constituency - as well as SNP MSPs in Ayr and Moray. Last night, Ms Badenoch said the party's position on repealing Labour 's 'family farm tax', the energy profits levy and its strong position on the ' gender debate' offered a clear alternative to voters. The UK leader - who replaced Rishi Sunak in November - said: 'I think there's very, very clear blue water between us and the SNP between us and Conservative Party is very clear on what its offer is.' Such optimism was palpable in her Friday speech to conference delegates on Friday, during which she said the party needed to bring about the SNP's 'electoral defeat'. Asked if she truly believed the Scottish Conservatives were able to beat the SNP in the Holyrood election, she said: 'Yes, anything can happen'. She continued: 'People look at what's happening in a particular moment, and assume it's always going to be like that. 'But we're not going to beat them by joining with them. We're going to beat them by having a better offer.' Such fighting talk comes despite a Survation poll in May suggesting the Tories are likely to return fewer MSPs than Nigel Farage's Reform party at the Holyrood vote next year. According to projections from Professor Sir John Curtice the SNP would return 58 seats and the Conservatives fewer than half their current group, returning 13 MSPs compared to its current crop of 30. Reform, meanwhile, would move into second place as the main opposition party on 21 seats. A recent litmus test of Tory support, the Hamilton by-election, saw the party slip into fourth place behind Reform - and was viewed by some pundits as evidence that Mr Farage's party posed an existential threat to the Tories' electoral fortunes. Mr Findlay yesterday dismissed what he labelled as 'pointy head' pollsters, which he said had been proven wrong in the past. And while Ms Badenoch is keenly aware of the rise in popularity of Reform - even warning in her speech to conference at the end of last week that Mr Farage is a threat to the Union because he does not care about more SNP rule - she insisted that 'everybody is a competitor' ahead of the 2026 Scottish Parliament election. She said: 'We live in a multi party era; we're going to be fighting for every single vote; we're not singling any party out.' However, unable to resist being drawn on how she might describe the First Minister John Swinney in three words, the UK Tory leader was characteristically robust. 'Not. An. Option,' she said. Both Ms Badenoch and Mr Findlay hope a display of humility and contrition to voters over mistakes made in government is key to boosting support for the party. Asked how she can prove to Scottish voters who appear to have switched to Reform that they need the Scottish Tories, Ms Badenoch said: 'By winning back their trust, and we will do that by being very honest about where we made mistakes. She said: 'The windfall tax [on oil and gas company profits] was one example. 'I often use immigration as another. We've come up with a whole new set of policies on immigration - which are much tougher - stopping people who have not contributed in our society from getting benefits, which act as a pull factor; not making British citizenship so easy to get, which is another pull factor. 'So we are changing our policy - but we're being very honest, in a way that the other parties simply are not being.' She added: 'The way we win is by rebuilding trust, winning back that trust, but showing who we are, what we stand for, whose side we're on and having an offer that's actually going to work.' On Saturday, in his first major conference speech since becoming Scottish Tory leader, Mr Findlay said he was an 'optimist' and that he was 'not prepared to accept doom and gloom'. Speaking of his party's hopes to win the First Minister's Perthshire North seat, he teased: 'Wouldn't that be some prize? Swinney paying the price for his abysmal record.'
Telegraph
12-06-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
SNP could use Chancellor's spending review billions as Holyrood election war chest
Ministers fear that millions of pounds of extra UK taxpayers' cash will be used by the SNP as a war chest in next May's crucial Holyrood election as part of its battle to make Scotland independent. Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, has announced that more than £50 billion is on its way to Scotland as its share of Treasury largesse, under the Barnett Formula, the system devised 40 years ago by the then Labour government to allocate British assets to the devolved countries. The system is also known as the 'Union Dividend' because it is designed to prove to citizens of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that they are much better off staying part of the UK. However, the irony is that the SNP always uses much of this money to pursue its only real policy – that is to break up Britain. This year's Barnett settlement is actually £9 billion more than had been expected but even at that, the SNP Government claims that it has been 'short-changed' to the tune of over £1 billion over the next three years. Ian Murray, the Scottish Secretary, has warned that this increased block grant – which amounts to record funding for Scotland – would be 'squandered' unless the SNP is defeated and ousted from power in next May's elections to the Scottish Parliament. Scottish Labour had high hopes of defeating the nationalists in that election, following last July's general election when it won 38 seats from the SNP. However, a series of unpopular policies introduced by Sir Keir Starmer's government – including the axing of the winter fuel payment and changes to benefit rules – saw John Swinney 's party reversing the situation: so much so that the SNP is ahead in opinion polls and support for independence has risen alarmingly. And Mr Murray has claimed that an extra £4.9 billion handed to the SNP Government by the Treasury after last autumn's Budget had been squandered with most Scots feeling little benefit. Especially galling for UK ministers and other Unionists has been the fact that much of the cash had been spent on pay rises with the result that SNP was able to boast that public sector pay was significantly higher in Scotland than in England. It might well be, but only because of Barnett's largesse. The current fear is that with all this cash sloshing around, SNP ministers will use it for more 'bribes' by way of pay rises to key sectors of the electorate. So what's to be done? Not, as Nigel Farage and others have suggested, the idea that Barnett should be scrapped as outdated. That is too drastic a step. Instead, what is required is a much more forensic attack on the SNP budget and its spending commitments to ensure that they are used for the benefit of ordinary Scots and not in pursuit of independence. The Commons has a role to play in this exercise but the main responsibility lies with the Scottish Parliament. Time without number this establishment proves itself to be a busted flush – an assembly where there is no fire, no genuine anger at how easily the SNP Government rules the roost. With less than a year to go before the next election, the opposition – and mostly Unionist – parties must embark on a line by line, clause by clause forensic examination of nationalist spending. And they should make a noise while they're doing it. It's all too polite among the many easy-lifers at Holyrood. 'Home for their tea by 5pm' is too often the abiding rule by which many of the 129 MSPs exist. It was thus something of a pleasure to see that the leaders of the Scottish Labour and Conservative parties are up for the fight and are determined to give the First Minister both barrels in the coming weeks and months. Always assuming the Holyrood presiding officer allows it, of course.
The Independent
11-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Murray asks who Scots voters ‘trust to spend' £9.1bn rise in funding
Next year's Holyrood election will be focused on who voters trust more to spend a £9.1 billion increase in funding for Scotland, Ian Murray has said. Chancellor Rachel Reeves set out her spending plans for the next three years on Wednesday, pledging to increase funding for housing and the NHS south of the border – which will have an impact on Scotland. She also announced development funding for the long-awaited Acorn carbon capture and storage facility in Aberdeenshire, as well as the reinstatement of up to £750 million to build the UK's most powerful supercomputer at Edinburgh University. According to the Treasury, the Scottish Government will see an increase of £9.1 billion over the next three years. In a briefing for Scottish journalists, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones said on average, the increase will mean £2.9 billion extra for Scotland each year – £2.4 billion of which will be revenue spending up to 2028-29 and around £510 million in capital for the slightly longer period of four years. The funding will take effect from April next year, just weeks before Scots go to the polls in the Holyrood election. In the same briefing, Scottish Secretary Ian Murray asked: 'The question then becomes, who do you trust to spend that? 'The record of the SNP Government of the last 18 years has not been beneficial in terms of how they would spend it. 'In fact, I think there'll be broad support for the view that the £4.9 billion that they got in the budget last year has not been spent wisely either.' He said Wednesday's spending review was 'great' for Scotland. One of the key announcements was confirmation of development funding for the Acorn project. The project – which will store carbon emissions from across Scotland under the North Sea – was repeatedly overlooked by successive UK governments for funding. But asked for clarity on how much cash the project will receive, Mr Jones was unable to say. The 136-page document also said that while the Government supports Acorn, 'a final investment decision will be taken later this Parliament, subject to project readiness and affordability'. Mr Murray said: 'We're working with the Acorn partners and have been for some time now about what they need for the development of it and that's what this commitment is for.' The SNP pushed for more detail on Acorn following the announcement. Accusing successive UK governments of having 'dragged their heels' on the project, Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said: 'The glaring omission in today's announcement was any detail on the scale of funding and the timescales for delivery, which stands in stark contrast to the £22 billion commitment the Labour Government has already given to carbon capture projects in England. 'Westminster has had 20 years to hammer out the detail on Scottish carbon capture, so it must now deliver meaningful funding and concrete support at pace.' Scottish Finance Secretary Shona Robison said the overall funding increase does not match that of Whitehall departments, claiming Scotland has missed out on more than £1 billion. 'Today's settlement for Scotland is particularly disappointing, with real-terms growth of 0.8% a year for our overall block grant, which is lower than the average for UK departments,' she said. 'Had our resource funding for day-to-day priorities grown in line with the UK Government's overall spending, we would have £1.1 billion more to spend on our priorities over the next three years. In effect, Scotland has been short-changed by more than £1 billion pounds. 'It is also disappointing that despite apparent briefing to media in advance, we are still awaiting clarity on funding for the vital Acorn project in the north-east of Scotland. 'We made extensive representations to the UK Government on our priorities for the spending review, including calls for an end to spending that bypasses devolution, but there has been limited opportunity to engage with them. 'It appears that the continuation of local growth funding – which fails to match the European Structural Funds it was supposed to replace – will come directly from Whitehall, yet again bypassing devolved governments.' The Scottish Government will respond to the announcement in the medium-term financial strategy on June 25, the Finance Secretary said. But Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar praised the spending review as 'game-changing', adding: 'The plans set out today will bring billions of pounds of investment to Scotland, on top of the record budget settlement delivered in the budget. 'From the Acorn Project to a national supercomputer in Edinburgh to our defence industry, this Labour Government is investing in Scotland's future while the SNP carps from the sidelines.' Scottish Conservative finance spokesman Craig Hoy described the spending review as a 'spend-now-tax-later statement' which will result in the Chancellor 'almost certainly' having to raise taxes.
