SNP failing to do basics on Israel boycott
The Scottish Government is failing to deliver even the basics of its pledge to boycott and divest from Israel, the Scottish Greens have said.
The warning comes as a new parliamentary answer from Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth to Scottish Green co-leader Ross Greer confirms that the Scottish Government did not consider a deal with Barclays to be in breach of the boycott policy agreed in a historic Holyrood vote last year.
In her answer, the Deputy First Minister said that “exploitation of assets in illegally occupied territories may constitute grave professional misconduct and could provide grounds for exclusion” from Scottish Government contracts.
However, the Scottish Government has confirmed that Barclays did not fail these tests and was therefore not excluded from becoming a partner to the Scottish Government’s bonds programme.
Barclays has long been a target of human rights campaigners. Research from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign alleges that Barclays holds over £2 billion in shares and provides over £6.1 billion in loans and underwriting for nine companies whose weapons and technology are being used by the Israeli military against Palestinians. The bank is also a ‘primary dealer’ for the Israeli government’s own bonds programme.
A proposal introduced by the Scottish Greens 12 months ago today made Scotland the first country in the world to agree to Palestinian civil society’s calls for a range of boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) measures against both the state of Israel and the companies complicit in its crimes against Palestine. Barclays Bank has long been the top focus of BDS campaigners in the UK.
Ross Greer said:
“It is one year to the day since our parliament voted to boycott apartheid Israel, but the Scottish Government isn’t even doing the basics.
“What is the point of applying a test so weak that a bank closely linked to Israel can pass it? If Barclays is not covered by the boycott, then what more would a company have to do to fall foul of it?
“Paying lip service is not enough. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed, while Barclays have supported those profiting from the destruction.
“Scotland’s Parliament made a clear commitment a year ago. If a company has profited from apartheid and genocide then they should not be able to profit here in Scotland. They certainly shouldn’t be helped to do so by the Scottish Government.
“Ministers must pull every lever at their disposal to ensure public money and public contracts are used for the public good, not to support the companies implicated in Israel’s assault on Palestinians.
“Instead, we have a Scottish Government which supported the Greens’ proposals for a boycott last year, but which has since made no real effort to implement it.
“If Ministers are serious about their commitment to boycott and divest from Israel, they need to stop hiding behind vague words and start actually delivering what MSPs voted for.”
TEXT OF ROSS GREER’S WRITTEN QUESTION AND DEPUTY FIRST MINISTER’S ANSWER
Ross Greer (West Scotland) (Scottish Green Party): To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the answer to question S7W-01397 by Jenny Gilruth on 3 August 2026, regarding the selection of financial institutions to advise on and support its forthcoming bond-issuance scheme and motion S6M-18686, does not make reference to either Barclays Bank or motion S6M-18686, and whether it will now address the relevant point raised in the initial question.
S7W-02243
Jenny Gilruth: The question S7W-01397 made no specific reference to Barclays Bank, and the answer set out that nine banks had been appointed to a framework to support delivery of its bond programme – with HSBC, Bank of America, NatWest, and RBC appointed as joint bookrunners for the inaugural bond issuance.
The procurement process was assessed against the relevant procurement requirements, including the applicable exclusion grounds and selection criteria.
Motion S6M-18686 calls for a package of boycotts, divestment and sanctions in relation to Israel and companies considered in certain activities. Following the vote on that motion, the Scottish Government announced in September 2025 a comprehensive package of economic and humanitarian measures, within the limits of the Scottish Government’s devolved powers. Support for defence companies involved in Israel halted - gov.scot
In February 2026, Scottish Procurement Policy Note (SPPN) 3/2026 updated guidance on the consideration of human rights and grave professional misconduct in procurement procedures. The guidance reiterates the Scottish Ministers’ view that the exploitation of assets in illegally occupied territories may constitute grave professional misconduct and could provide grounds for exclusion. However, any decision to exclude a supplier must be made on a case-by-case basis, based on all relevant evidence and in accordance with procurement law.