Turmoil inside SNP and Greens leaves shape and leadership of Scottish Government uncertain

Speculation is rife about the shape and leadership of the Scottish Government, with both the SNP and its Green partners in a state of turmoil.

The news that Peter Murrell, former SNP chief executive and husband of Nicola Sturgeon, had been charged with embezzlement as a result of the long-running police probe into party finances, sent shockwaves through the Nationalist ranks.

The decision to charge Peter Murrell, former SNP chief executive and husband of ex-first minister Nicola Sturgeon, has sent shockwaves through the party. Photo: Robert Perry/PA Wire

And it came on the same day as Net Zero Secretary Mairi McAllan announced that, after boasting for years about Scotland having the most ambitious climate targets in the world, the government was now scrapping its target of achieving a 75 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030.

The move was embarrassing enough for the SNP, but for the Greens it challenged the whole point of their being in government if such a key part of their agenda was being ditched.  

The Greens have called a special meeting so members can vote on whether to continue with the power-sharing Bute House Agreement which saw Greens enter government for the first time anywhere in the UK. If the party votes to leave the government, it could mean that Green co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater decide to step down.

Meanwhile, there are said to be moves afoot to replace Humza Yousaf as SNP leader.  A party insider was quoted in one newspaper at the weekend saying it was "a question of when he goes, not if". 

Mr Yousaf has only been in post just over a year and all that time the police investigation into the party's finances has overshadowed everything. But critics argue he did not distance himself enough from Mr Murrell and point to other problems like the backlash over the Hate Crime Bill. 

The alleged succession plan would see former finance secretary Kate Forbes take over as leader with Westminster leader Stephen Flynn as her deputy.Ms Forbes narrowly lost to Mr Yousaf in the leadership contest last year and has remained prominent since.

But Ms Forbes has criticised the agreement with the Greens - and in return the Greens are unhappy about her conservative views on a number of social issues.

If the Greens don't vote to end the co-operation agreement at their special meeting, they might find the SNP - especially if it is led by Ms Forbes - decides to end it anyway. In which case, some Greens may say, it would be better to leave now over a matter of principle than wait to be pushed out.

It’s still to years until the next Holyrood election, but there could well be some dramatic changes in governmenr long before then.