Greens co-leaders could share FM role if party wins Holyrood election

The Scottish Greens’ two co-leaders could job-share the post of first minister if the party was to win the Holyrood election, one of them suggested.

Gillian Mackay jointly leads the party alongside Ross Greer – and while polls show they are unlikely to win May’s Scottish Parliament’s election, the party is hoping to make gains.

Ms Mackay praised the party’s co-leadership system – saying it was less “exclusionary” than the traditional model of having a single leader at the head of party.

She said this system allowed her to fulfil the role while also having a nine-month-old baby – adding that if the Greens were to win at Holyrood they could take that model into the role of first minister.

Speaking to the Press Association as the party started campaigning for votes in the run-up to May 7, Ms Mackay said: “Co-leadership is great, I don’t think I would be here today speaking to you without that model we have, having a nine-month-old at home.”

She added that “the office of first minister could be the same”, saying: “I think Ross and I would share it, if we were in that position.”

Stating that the Scottish Greens are looking to return “as many Green MSPs as possible” after May 7, she also said the party would “absolutely be that counter” to Reform UK – who could see their first-ever MSPs elected to Holyrood in the ballot.

That point was echoed by Mr Greer, who said the recent Gorton and Denton by-election in Manchester – where the Greens won the seat ahead of Reform and Labour, who were third – showed “happens when you put the politics of hope and hate up against each other”.

In that election, he said “the Greens won by a mile with a campaign that was all about unity, all about bringing the community together with a vision of how it could be a better place to live, a more affordable place to live”.

Hitting out at Nigel Farage’s party, Mr Greer added: “When faced with that and something really ugly and hateful and divisive, we saw the result – by far more people opt for that politics of hope and positivity.”

With a recent poll having suggested the Greens could beat Reform to second place in Holyrood, Mr Greer said his party was the “best-placed to stop Reform gaining MSPs on the regional list” part of the ballot.

Adding that people in Scotland are “desperately crying out for change”, his message was Greens could deliver the “fundamental change” that is is required.

The Scottish Green co-leader told voters: “If you are somebody who believes in a progressive Scotland and you know that things need to change, the Greens are the party for you.

“No-one else is representing that kind of progressive change any more.”

The Greens have already pledged to work to expand free childcare in Scotland and are campaigning to make bus travel free for everyone – a policy which comes after the party successfully pushed for the introduction of free bus travel for all those aged under 22 in Scotland.

Mr Greer said: “If you want to vote for a more progressive Scotland, if you want policies that will save you money, tackle the climate emergency and you want to reject the politics of hate and keep that out of the Scottish Parliament, the Greens are by far the strongest option.”