The co-leader of the Scottish Greens, Ross Greer, has declared he would be 'absolutely crushed' if his party fails to secure the balance of power after the election, vowing to use that influence to push a raft of far-left policies on the SNP.
Greer's ambitions for Green influence
Mr Greer stated that his MSPs are certain to wield 'significant influence' and are intent on using the balance of power to enact socialist schemes. He said: 'We will take whatever opportunity we can get to deliver those policies.' The Green manifesto includes a new 1 per cent tax on home values, among other measures.
When asked if he expected to become a minister by summer, Mr Greer did not rule it out, though he denied having 'any particular personal ambition' to hold office. He emphasised that the Greens would only enter government if a substantial element of Green policy was included in the programme.
Tory reaction and coalition history
The Scottish Conservatives described the prospect of a Green tail wagging the SNP dog as 'the stuff of nightmares'. A party spokesman recalled the 'disastrous policies' inflicted during the previous Bute House Agreement, which broke down in 2024 when then-First Minister Humza Yousaf fired the Green ministers.
Polls suggest John Swinney will fall short of an SNP majority, potentially needing Green support to pass budgets. Mr Greer also dismissed the Liberal Democrats as a 'cheaper date' but 'not reliable', contrasting them with the Greens' consistent stance.
Targeting a high-profile scalp
The Greens are also predicting they will unseat Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson in Edinburgh Central, a seat redrawn to include student-heavy areas. Green candidate Lorna Slater claimed she was ahead on the eve of polling, with Labour's James Dalgleish second and Mr Robertson third. She said: 'We've thrown the kitchen sink at this.'
Mr Swinney insisted his colleague would win, but at the 2017 general election, then-leader Nicola Sturgeon expressed similar confidence before Mr Robertson lost his Moray seat to the Tories.
