THE Scottish Greens have accused the Tories of misogyny after they tabled a vote of no confidence in Lorna Slater.
The Tories said that the Green MSP and Scottish Government Minister was “out of her depth” and should lose her job following the delay of Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme.
A debate and vote is expected to be held before Parliament breaks up for the summer recess next week.
Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie described the move as a “cynical and shameless political stunt by an increasingly desperate and disgraced Tory Party”.
“This is a clear attempt to distract from their many failings. Lorna has been at the forefront of delivering a fairer, greener and better Scotland.
“She has overseen a record investment in wildlife and nature, an end to new incineration and a ban on the worst single-use plastics. She always puts Scotland first.
“I am proud to work with Lorna in her capacity as a party co-leader and as a Minister.”
“The politics that she represents are everything that the Tories rail against, so it is no wonder that they are attacking her in the spiteful, and often misogynistic way they have done for months.
“Only the Tories would have the audacity to move a motion of no confidence in the leader of another party on the very same evening that MPs were voting to seal the fate of their lying, duplicitous and shamed former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
“Do they really think they can divert attention away from the partygate scandal that easily, even as a video is still trending online from their Christmas celebrations at Tory HQ, taken while people were unable to say a proper goodbye to loved ones?”
The motion of no confidence was tabled by Tory MSP Liam Kerr.
He said: “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.
“She knew for years that an exemption from the UK Internal Market Act was required, yet only applied for it at the eleventh hour.
“Then, when the UK Government sought to work with her to help create a viable scheme, she resorted to anger, division and blame, rather than the constructive, collaborative approach that could have yielded a working scheme.”
