Tories deem Slater ‘out of her depth’ ahead of no-confidence vote

Circular economy minister Lorna Slater is “out of her depth”, a Conservative MSP said as he tabled a motion of no confidence in her over the deposit return scheme (DRS) turmoil.

But Ms Slater said the attempt to oust her is a “shameless political stunt”.

Tory net-zero spokesman Liam Kerr has lodged a motion of no confidence in Ms Slater at the Scottish Parliament, which gained the backing of his party colleagues.

Scottish Labour and the Liberal Democrats have also said they will be supporting the motion.

However the co-operation agreement between the SNP and Scottish Greens, which gave the smaller party two ministerial positions, means it stands little chance of passing.

It will be debated at Holyrood on Tuesday evening.

The Scottish Government blamed Westminster for the latest delay to the DRS, after the UK Government decided glass should be excluded from the scheme so it is the same across Britain.

Mr Kerr said: “We feel we have no option but to bring this motion forward, because Lorna Slater has demonstrated that she is out of her depth as a minister.

“I don’t say this lightly, but I struggle to think of a minister who has struggled so much in their brief in the seven years I’ve been in the Scottish Parliament.

“Her handling of the deposit return scheme has been shambolic from day one, with her refusal to engage with business or heed their warnings that her plans were unworkable.”

Mr Kerr said the UK Government had offered to work with Ms Slater to make the DRS viable, but she had instead “resorted to anger, division and blame”.

He also blamed Ms Slater for the potential collapse of Circularity Scotland, the industry-funded company set up to administer the DRS.

Mr Kerr said: “The First Minister has stated that he does not agree and has full confidence in Lorna Slater.

“But I call on all MSPs of all parties to get behind this motion.”

Ms Slater, who is also one of the Greens’ two co-leaders, was defiant in a statement on Tuesday afternoon.

She said: “This is a shameless political stunt from a Tory party that holds Scotland and our democracy in contempt.

“They can see that with Scottish Greens in government we are building a fairer, greener and better Scotland, and they don’t like it one bit.

“We are here to stay, and will continue to deliver the change that is so vital.

“When the Tories destroyed Scotland’s deposit return scheme, they destroyed jobs, they destroyed environmental progress, and they undermined Scotland’s Parliament.

“Whether they did it for a stunt so they could bring forward absurd motions like this, to distract us from the Tory horror show in Westminster, or because of their links to the industry, we will never know.

“But I do know that the only people who should be held responsible for the Tory’s catastrophic decision making in Westminster are the Tories.”