A SCOTTISH Greens member has reported party leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater to the Ethical Standards Commissioner amid a series of “cash for access” claims in recent weeks, The National can reveal.
The member, who wishes to remain unnamed, reported the pair after the Sunday Mail revealed meetings offered at the Scottish Greens 2024 spring conference with explicit access to its MSPs. Lobbyists were offered the chance to buy an “exhibitor reception” for the price of £700.
Speaking to The National, the member labelled the leaders as “power hungry” and claimed they had “neglected their own party” in exchange for "a £700 sponsorship package".
The Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland – which investigates the behaviour of MSPs, councillors and board members of public bodies – must now decide whether to investigate the co-leaders.
The complaint, submitted on September 25, is expected to go through an assessment to determine whether an investigation is justified. The watchdog’s website states “this stage should take no longer than two months”.
The “cash for access” meetings had been on offer for more than a year, including when Harvie and Slater were ministers as part of the Bute House Agreement (BHA) with the SNP.
The offer promised to give lobbyists an “invitation only opportunity to talk to MSPs, councillors and observers”.
A fresh report revealed senior party officials attended a champagne reception paid for by a group which represents members from major polluters.
The meetings could break the Scottish Parliament’s lobbying rules.
The parliamentary code states that “members may participate in events for which others are charged a fee attend”.
However, it adds that “there could be some concern that events falling into this category could be a means of ‘buying’ access to MSPs. It is important that there should be no grounds for such a perception.”
In reaction, members, former MSPs and ethical experts have been among the growing calls for Harvie and Slater to resign from their positions following the revelations. Party insiders have accused leaders of a "cover-up".
Former Scottish Greens leader Robin Harper urged his previous party to open an investigation and former Greens MSP Andy Wightman agreed, previously stating: “Anyone is free to submit a complaint to the Ethical Standards Commissioner if they feel any MSP has breached the code of conduct”.
The complainant told The National that members are receiving “press release-style updates” from leadership instead of dialogue around party culture which “there is a real urgency to resolve”.
They said: "Our MSPs sold our political and well-built values down the river, just so two of them could get a fancy pay check. We are in a state of moral disarray.”
The member also complained of “identity politics” in the party, claiming members are encouraged to “count the number of times each gender speaks or participates”. They described it as “dehumanising”, adding: “Perhaps the most damaging issue facing the Scottish Green Party today is the growing hatred towards men within the party.
“The policies and internal guidelines are beginning to veer into dangerous territory, actively encouraging men to stay silent if women haven’t engaged in 50% of discussions. This is not equality. This is not inclusivity. This is divisive, punitive, and cruel.”
A Scottish Greens spokesperson said: “We have not seen the complaint so can’t comment on the specifics of it, but these comments include misinformation about our co-leaders and our party conference.
“At no point has the party ever offered sponsorship packages of the kind alluded to in these comments and nor would we. The comments also appear to imply that MSPs have personally profited from conference sponsorship, which is totally incorrect and baseless.
“All members of the Scottish Greens are expected to work within the party’s code of conduct and can raise concerns through the democratic systems that we have in place.”
