Patrick Harvie warns of Green infighting and far right threat

Patrick Harvie has warned of the "dangerous forces" of the far right in his final Scottish Greens conference speech as co-leader.

He also hit out at infighting party members who share "anonymous leaks, smears and insults" as the Greens embark on a leadership contest.

Speaking in Stirling, Patrick Harvie said a "small minority" were underminining the work of fellow members and damaging the party and its reputation.

He urged delegates to build on the "most impactful period in the party's history" ahead of the next Holyrood election in 2026.

He told delegates: "Green politics could hardly be more of a contrast with the rise of dangerous forces in today's political climate.

"The far right threat is very real, and too much of the political spectrum is still behaving as though it can be defeated by imitation."

He also condemned "so-called culture war agenda" and "the right wing's attempt to redefine free speech".

The Glasgow MSP and former Scottish government minister announced last week that he would stand down in the summer.

Harvie, who was elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2003, is the longest-serving party chief at Holyrood, having been in the role for almost 17 years.

Harvie said for much of the party's early history people voted Green "as a protest".

He said: "That's not enough. It's not enough to win the chance to make change happen. It should never be enough to satisfy us.

"Green politics must be about making a difference in the real world, because the challenges, and crises, that we exist to face are far too urgent."

Harvie, who intends to seek re-election as an MSP, said the party had built "the capacity and the credibility to make change happen" since the Scottish Parliament was founded in 1999.

He encouraged delegates to take Green politics forward and "achieve more positive change in people's lives".

In a speech following Harvie, Scottish Green co-leader Lorna Slater told delegates that action was needed to tax wealth and big polluters.

She said: "The wealth of billionaires has more than tripled since 2010. They've made out like bandits in the last few years, cashing in every step of the way.

She added: "We need to think beyond income tax, we need to tax wealth, we need to tax carbon emissions and the big polluters to put money back into people's pockets, back into public services and to build a fairer, greener country."

Slater said Green policies would cut carbon emissions while putting money back in people's pockets.

She also paid tribute to her co-leader, who is a longtime fan of BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who.

She presented Harvie with a bottle of organic wine to mark his departure, topped with a pin badge of a Tardis in the style of Van Gough.

The Green conference is taking place relatively near Bannockburn, the site of the historical battlefield.

Cue analogies about powerful warriors gearing up for a Holyrood fight next spring - but that wouldn't quite fit the vibe of a Green conference. But - however you frame it - power and position does matter in politics - whether you're the Green co-leader Patrick Harvie or King Robert the Bruce.

On the face of it, perhaps hard to argue against a pretty successful political career for Harvie. MSP for 22 years, leader for 17, a key player in budget wrangling deals and part of the first pair of Greens ever to serve in government in the UK.

An ever-present media figure and a strong visual image means he's liked, disliked and - mostly importantly - recognised.

Harvie's valedictory speech turned over the highs and lows during his time in office. But now the challenge for the Greens - who can replace him? His colleague Lorna Slater has confirmed she will stand again for the co-leadership in the summer.

Harvie's towering presence in his party means a lid has almost been kept on infighting and power-play by some members. He hit out at that in his speech.

Membership grumbling did bubble over at the autumn conference in Greenock last year and now - as they seek to put their candidates up for the top job and also seek MSP positions themselves - that's getting worse.

There's another question - not just who leads but what's it all about? In an era of "Drill, baby, drill" and worries about costly eco projects in a downturn, the Green message is being challenged.

Couple that with a ramping up of the "culture wars", it's clear the Greens are not in ascendancy as they were - and certainly not in government.

So, the Greens are losing their king and when the successor steps up they and the co-leader will need to have their battle-field tactics well honed to achieve victories similar to Harvie.