The agreement includes a commitment to hold a second referendum on Scottish independence before 2026 and, if possible, by the end of 2023. [8] [12] The Alba party criticized the agreement for its lack of urgency. [13] The Scottish Greens last signed a cooperation agreement with the SNP in 2007. [4] The agreement was then officially ratified by the party`s National Council. This agreement reaffirms the decision of the Scottish people and ensures that there will be a referendum on independence when the immediate Covid crisis is over and we start rebuilding Scotland for the future. The agreement sets out a new and transformative vision for Scotland as we recover from the Covid pandemic and look at how we are managing the climate emergency and building a fairer and greener Scotland. The cooperation agreement sets out how the Scottish Government and the Greens will work together operationally and covers technical issues such as the collective responsibility approach. Lorna Slater MSP said: “The members of the Scottish Green Party are thoughtful and considerate and I am delighted that, after extensive discussion and debate of this agreement, they have decided to take this historic step in government. It is time for Scotland to step up its efforts to decarbonise our economy and invest in a fairer and greener future. There is no time to lose and I look forward to starting work on our transformation agenda in the coming days. The Cooperation Agreement document sets out the overall approach to cooperation as well as the operational modalities of cooperation between the Scottish Government and the Greens. Following the announcement of the agreement between the Scottish Government and the Greens, the Speaker wrote to members of the Scottish Parliament on 31 August 2021, giving details of how this would change parliamentary work.
More detailed information on the agreement, including other cooperation agreements and the difference between cooperation and coalition, can be found in a corresponding SPICe briefing. “Today`s politics can too often seem small – polarised, divided and unable to seize the opportunity – and this deal aims to change that in Scotland. It`s about improving policies and governance to find the solutions needed to solve the problems facing the world today. The draft agreements will now be examined by the political parties concerned, and ministers will provide Parliament with an update after the break. Although it is not an official coalition, it would be the first time in British history that Green politicians would be in government. [9] [10] Under the agreement, two Scottish Green MPs were appointed ministers. [11] Although SNP members had a say in the agreement, the cooperation agreement between the Scottish Government and the Greens exists. By the time the parties began talks, the Scottish Prime Minister and ministers had been appointed and the government formed. The draft agreement was unanimously approved by the SNP National Executive Committee. [5] In a tweet, the Greens said: “We will enter the government for the first time after voting overwhelmingly in favour of the cooperation agreement with the SNP government.” With a few votes yet to be counted, about 88 percent of party members who voted in favor supported the deal, according to the Press Association. The cooperation agreement sets out how the Scottish Government and the Greens intend to work together over the next five years, the duration of the session of the sixth parliament. About 83 percent of members who attended an extraordinary general meeting on Saturday voted in favor of the deal.
On 20 August 2021, after two months of negotiations, the SNP and the Greens announced a new power-sharing agreement. [6] [7] First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the power-sharing agreement at Bute House with Scottish Green Party co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater. The agreement is based on the cooperation agreement between the Labour Party and the Green Party in New Zealand, which was concluded in November 2020. [8] Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said a recent power-sharing agreement between the SNP and the Scottish Greens aimed to “improve politics and governance”. “I am delighted that the Scottish Government has reached an innovative agreement with the Scottish Green Party that responds to the challenges and opportunities of our time. The cooperation agreement ensures that our party will work with the Greens to ensure effective and responsible leadership for people living in Scotland and future generations. Welcoming the agreement with the Scottish Green Party, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I am delighted that members of the Scottish Green Party and the SNP have agreed that we should work together in the Scottish Government to build a greener, fairer and more independent Scotland. Patrick Harvie MSP said: “I am delighted that our party members have supported this historic cooperation agreement where the Greens will enter government for the first time in Scotland or elsewhere in the UK. With the Greens in government, we will be able to bring about positive change for the people of Scotland. Scottish Green Party members have agreed to the party`s cooperation agreement with the SNP, which paves the way for co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater to become Scotland`s Green First Ministers. In Section B, the cooperation agreement obliges the Scottish Government and the Greens to present a joint programme.
This joint programme is described in detail in the policy programme document `Working together to build a greener, fairer and more independent Scotland`. “This historic agreement will provide a solid platform for the transformation agenda we plan to implement. We will work together to support a fair recovery from Covid, urgently address the impact of the climate emergency and give the people of Scotland a vote on independence. The agreement also lists several areas where the Scottish government and the Greens have “agreed to be different”. These areas are defined in the agreement as “excluded issues”. Cooperation agreements can vary widely, ranging from limited trust and supply agreements (where a party helps the government seek government confidence and government spending) to broader agreements that include the subordinate (smaller) party in ministerial positions. “This political agreement is unprecedented in Scotland and even in the UK. The agreement therefore requires a tailor-made response here at Holyrood, based on precedents and practices, fair to all parties represented in Parliament and meeting the requirements of rigorous parliamentary scrutiny. In addition to the draft political programme, the draft cooperation agreement sets out how the Scottish Government and the Scottish Green Party will work together. This includes the appointment of two Green MPs as scottish government ministers. The cooperation agreement also lists a number of areas outside the scope of the agreement where the two sides have agreed to be different.
Housing-related measures in the agreement include the creation of a new housing regulator, significant restrictions on winter evictions, and the requirement to introduce a rent control system by the end of 2025. [16] Harvie credited the tenants` union Living Rent with creating “political space” for rent control proposals. [17] The SNP-Greens cooperation agreement is the first of its kind in Scottish and British politics, but it is not uncommon in countries in Europe or the rest of the world. Both sides are invited to endorse and approve this historic agreement in the coming days and weeks. Mechanisms have also been put in place to allow for joint monitoring of the agreement. The mechanisms are designed to “promote genuine cooperation”, address concerns and resolve disputes as soon as possible, and include the following: “I am determined that there will be a referendum on independence in this Parliament.” This agreement reaffirms that the agreement between the Scottish National Party and the Scottish Greens, also known as the Bute House Agreement, is a power-sharing agreement between the Scottish National Party (SNP) and the Scottish Greens, concluded in August 2021 in support of the third Sturgeon Government. .
