THE Scottish Greens have welcomed the First Minister's indyref2 update to Holyrood, though have questioned the economic vision set out by the Sustainable Growth Commission.

Nicola Sturgeon yesterday set out to Parliament the next steps she will take in the pursuit of a second independence referendum.

This afternoon, Patrick Harvie used his opening question at FMQs to say it was "a shame" that no other party had yet welcomed Sturgeon's "very positive announcement", adding: "Because it’s clear that UK politics is broken and that the UK Government has shown contempt for Scotland.

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“So Greens agree that change is needed and we continue to take the view that independence offers the chance of a new direction that this country badly needs.

"In that campaign we will advocate for the Green New Deal which we proposed in Parliament yesterday, and which the [Scottish] Government voted for to tackle the climate crisis and inequality together. But isn’t it also clear that neither devolution, nor a currency union, nor the business-as-usual vision set out in the SNP’s Growth Commission would permit the genuine economic independence that we need to transformational agenda possible?

“Why should we close off the possibilities that independence offers, now of all times?”

Sturgeon disagreed though welcomed Harvie’s positive words about yesterday’s update. She added that it was healthy that a range of parties, putting forward a range of views, were backing independence. “The essence of independence,” she said, “is decided these issues for ourselves.”

The First Minister added that one of the topics of discussion at this weekend’s SNP Spring Conference will be small, successful independent nations and how Scotland can emulate them.

Keep an eye on our website today, and in tomorrow’s newspaper, for more coverage and analysis of FMQs