SNP accused of 'political cowardice' by Lorna Slater over scrapping of Bute House Agreement - Scottish Greens statement in full

In a scathing letter, Scottish Greens co-convener Lorna Slater has said Humza Yousaf has scrapped the Bute House Agreement in a ‘weak and thoroughly hopeless way’

Scottish Greens co-convener Lorna Slater has issued a scathing statement on behalf of her party after the Bute House Agreement was officially scrapped by the SNP.

The Bute House Agreement – named after the First Minister’s official residence in Edinburgh – had brought Greens into power for the first time anywhere in the UK when it was signed in 2021.

However, the deal has now been ended by First Minister Humza Yousaf, who is expected to explain his reasoning for the decision from Bute House shortly.

Scottish Green party co-leader Lorna Slater listens as SNP net-zero secretary Mairi McAllan ditches the Scottish Government's 2030 emissions reduction target. Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA

In a statement issued on Thursday morning, Ms Slater has said “voters deserve better”.

Here is the statement from Ms Slater in full:

“This is an act of political cowardice by the SNP, who are selling out future generations to appease the most reactionary forces in the country.

“Voters deserve better, Scotland deserves better. Scottish Green voters certainly deserve better.

"They have broken the bonds of trust with members of both parties who have twice chosen the co-operation agreement and climate action over chaos, culture wars and division. They have betrayed the electorate.

"And by ending the agreement in such a weak and thoroughly hopeless way, Humza Yousaf has signalled that when it comes to political cooperation, he can no longer be trusted.

"In just a few weeks time our own members were to have a democratic say on endorsing the co-operation agreement.

"We are confident they would have supported us in continuing our work for Scotland, as they have done at every turn.

"Neither they nor SNP members will have that opportunity. Instead, the most reactionary and backwards-looking forces within the First Minister’s party have forced him to do the opposite of what he himself had said was in Scotland’s best interests.

"By contrast we as co-leaders of the Scottish Greens were prepared to put our own political careers on the line with our members, to defend our achievements in government, despite enduring all that SNP backbenchers and others threw against us.

"What a pity he didn’t have the fortitude or the bravery to do the same. If they can’t stand up to members of their own party, how can anyone expect them to stand up to the UK Government at Westminster and defend the interests of Scotland?

"We want, we demand, a fairer greener Scotland. We believed the Bute House Agreement would speed up that process, only to be let down by the SNP time and time again - on council tax, on oil and gas, on 2030 and most obviously, again today.

"I appeal to those SNP members who do care about climate, trans rights, independence and our country to consider if they are in the right party for their values, or if their home should be with us as we prepare to step up our defence of the planet in opposition.

"Finally, to all those who will feel hurt and betrayed today, know this: our resolve is absolute, we will not abandon you as the SNP have, we will fight for your future with every breath we take.