SCOTTISH Greens co-leader Lorna Slater has indicated her party will not be moving to back Humza Yousaf in a confidence vote despite his him pleading them to reconsider.
After being sacked as ministers early doors on Thursday, Slater and her fellow co-leader Patrick Harvie were quick to slate an act of what they claimed was “political cowardice” by the First Minister as he suddenly ended the Bute House Agreement.
Later the same day, after the Tories announced they would be lodging a confidence vote in Yousaf, the Greens said they would be joining the Unionist parties in the Parliament to vote against him.
Since then, the First Minister has claimed he did not intend to spark such an angry reaction from the Greens and is urging them to reconsider, claiming the parties still have many shared priorities.
READ MORE: Ian Blackford addresses Scottish Greens ahead of no confidence votes
But Slater has said she “cannot imagine” what Yousaf could propose to change their minds.
She told the BBC’s Sunday Show: “I cannot imagine anything at this point that could change that [the Greens’ current] position.
“This was a spectacular breach of trust.”
She was asked if policy offers from Yousaf ahead of the vote could persuade them to abstain.
But she added: “[The Bute House Agreement] was based on mutual trust and respect. I do have trust and respect for many of my SNP colleagues.
“But Humza Yousaf himself has broken that and he needs to face the consequences.”
She went on to has appeal to members of the SNP to find a “home” in her party if they want “progressive” pro-independence politics.
“I imagine many of their progressive members are as horrified as we are by some of the reactionary elements in the party, some of the climate-denying elements of the party, people who don’t believe in equalities and human rights,” said the former green skills minister.
READ MORE: Alex Salmond claims BBC interview sparked Scottish politics 'crisis'
“I reach out to those members, the Scottish Greens will always be a progressive party for an independent Scotland and it may be that your home is with us, you’d be welcome.”
Yousaf has sent letters to party leaders to invite them for talks with him at Bute House ahead of the vote, which is likely to take place later this week.
The key to him surviving the vote will be whether Alba MSP Ash Regan decides to back him and she has set out a number of demands in exchange for her support.
Alba Party leader Alex Salmond said on Sunday these would include a commitment to putting independence “back on the agenda as the number one objective”.
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