Scottish Greens Co-leader Lorna Slater calls for indyref2 'as soon as covid eases' this parliamentary term

Lorna Slater has said that she would like to see a second independence referendum introduced in Scotland ‘as soon as possible’ when the pandemic has eased.

The Scottish Greens co-leader told BBC Good Morning Scotland on Wednesday that a second independence referendum in Scotland should come this parliamentary term.

Asked about whether indyref2 should be introduced to Holyrood in the coming year, Ms Slater said that there will be an independence referendum in this parliamentary term.

Speaking on the radio show, Slater said: "The exact timing of that I’m not personally clear on but the SNP manifesto said in the first half of the term, we said in this parliamentary term so I think we are all agreed that we want the covid crisis to have eased before that happens so that we can safely campaign and have that national conversation we need to have about the kind of Scotland that we want.”

Scottish Green Party co-leader Lorna Slater sits in the main chamber of the Scottish Parliament as she is appointed as junior government minister at Holyrood in Edinburgh on August 31, 2021 (Photo by Jane Barlow / POOL / AFP via Getty Images).

Asked about when she would like to see the referendum, Slater said: "The cooperation agreement says as soon as possible when the pandemic has eased and I would absolutely support that.”

Talking about her new role as minister for green skills, the circular economy and biodiversity, Slater said her main priority was to look at a Green Industrial strategy.

Scotland needs to develop its ‘enormous’ renewable energy potential to tackle the climate crisis, she claimed.

Slater’s comments come after the First minister told Holyrood that the power-sharing deal between the SNP and Scottish Greens is a "leap of faith" for both parties.

The appointment of Green politicians to ministerial office is a first for anywhere in the UK.

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