Scottish Greens in Government

Lorna Slater MSP

Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity

Lorna Slater has been the Scottish Greens co-leader since 2019 and was elected MSP for Lothian in 2021. Originally from Alberta, Canada, Lorna previously worked as an engineer in the renewables energy sector, including as a project manager in the construction of the world’s biggest tidal turbine in Dundee.

She was appointed Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity in 2021 as part of the Bute House Agreement which saw the Scottish Greens agree to enter government.

In 2022 she unveiled record funding for nature and biodiversity restoration including plans for a new national park, the end of coal mining operations in Scotland, and represented the Scottish Government at the COP15 biodiversity conference.

Patrick Harvie MSP

Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights

Patrick Harvie was first elected in 2003 as MSP for Glasgow and is the party’s longest serving MSP, serving as Co-convenor then Co-leader since 2008. During the first session of the Scottish Parliament he was part of the campaign to repeal Section 28.

He grew up in Dumbarton and studied in Manchester, later working as am LGBT youth worker in Glasgow.

He was appointed Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenant’s Rights in August 2021 as part of the Bute House Agreement between the Scottish Greens and the SNP administration.

In 2022 he became the first green minister in the UK to have legislation passed in any parliament when he introduced the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Bill which came into force on October 28.

Bute House Agreement

Scottish Greens and the SNP entered into a cooperation agreement in August 2021 when the Bute House Agreement was published, with two green Ministers being appointed by the First Minister- a first for any parliament in the UK.

The deal puts the campaign for Scottish independence centre of campaigning along with a new emphasis on climate action, progressive taxation and improved tenants’ rights among other key policies.

Some areas are excluded from the agreement allowing Scottish Green MSPs to keep

continue campaigning on areas such as banning oil and gas extraction, hunting with dogs and membership of Nato.

View the Bute House Agreement

Delivering for Scotland

The Bute House Agreement has shown how progressive politics based on genuine cooperation and shared goals can work. In Scotland that means in important areas including nature restoration, active travel, free public transport for young people, the heat and buildings agenda and the circular economy.

It has also helped see the removal of peak fares on trains, an end of new coal, fracking and incinerators, a ban on the worst single use plastics, record funding for nature, biodiversity and active travel, gender recognition reform, increased Scottish child payments, expansion of the real living wage, a new tax on second homes, trade union representation on college boards and progress on expanding voting rights.