Why Patrick Harvie's resignation was predictable - but leaves Greens needing calm for tricky election
The Greens are facing a tricky election next year and will need experienced heads like Patrick Harvie more than ever.
Patrick Harvie calling time on his co-leadership of the Scottish Greens may have been in the post for some time - but it could leave his party without the experience it will need to navigate a potentially tricky Holyrood election.
Mr Harvie, first appointed the Greens’ co-convener in 2008, led his party into government with Nicola Sturgeon. It was historic stuff for the Greens and Mr Harvie, who became a minister alongside Lorna Slater.
Mr Harvie was influential in government, credited by his critics of swaying government policy - before it all came crashing down under former first minister Humza Yousaf. Ms Sturgeon had gifted the Green co-leaders two of the trickiest junior ministerial posts in government.
But in the days before Mr Yousaf made his catastrophic error of evicting Mr Harvie and Ms Slater from Bute House, Green members were growing frustrated with Mr Harvie’s leadership.
The party was being openly criticised by SNP backbenchers, who blamed the Greens for the troubles - a scapegoat for their internal turmoil.
But Green members were irritated about U-turns over a host of policies, many of them contentious, the two parties was meant to be pursuing in office.
Some members questioned what Mr Harvie was delivering for the Greens in government and whether the party should pull the plug before Mr Yousaf cut the cord.
At the time, one Green member told me Mr Harvie had “lost sight of why we got into government”, while another warned that he and Ms Slater “were on borrowed time”.
Once things settled down, I asked Mr Harvie whether he had considered packing in his leadership when the Bute House Agreement was ripped up.
He told me that “of course you think about it”, but that he would make a decision this year about his future.
Mr Harvie has decided to end his leadership at a crucial juncture for the Greens.
Next year’s election is poised to be one of the most unpredictable in recent memory. With the surge in support for Reform and a likely Lib Dems boost potentially penalising the Greens through regional list seat allocations, Mr Harvie’s party will need calm and experienced heads in charge more than ever.
The Greens could, quite realistically, prop up an SNP minority government and prevent Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar taking power.
Mr Harvie has played a crucial role, unlike anyone else, in putting the Scottish Greens on the Scottish political map. Without his leadership, the future is one of uncertainty.
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.