Patrick Harvie: the Greens are influencing the SNP every day The influence of the Scottish Greens over the SNP at Holyrood is growing by the day, Patrick Harvie will claim […]

The influence of the Scottish Greens over the SNP at Holyrood is growing by the day, Patrick Harvie will claim on Saturday, as he accuses his political opponents of playing “catch-up”.

Mr Harvie will use his speech to his party’s autumn conference to list the Green policies adopted by the Scottish Government, arguing that its MSPs are “leading the change”.

“The list of Green achievements at Holyrood is long and getting longer” The i politics newsletter cut through the noise Email address is invalid Email address is invalid Thank you for subscribing! Sorry, there was a problem with your subscription. Patrick Harvie

The Greens’ co-convenor will say that the SNP has drawn on his party’s policies through recent moves to cut air pollution in cities, ban fracking and create a publicly-owned energy company.

Speaking at Edinburgh Napier University, Mr Harvie will also highlight this week’s decision by the Scottish Government to support Green MSP John Finnie’s Bill to ban smacking.

The Scottish Greens only have six MSPs at Holyrood, but give Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP a slim pro-independence majority – something that could prove crucial as the Brexit negotiations develop.

Last year Mr Harvie also did a deal with the SNP over its draft Budget, after persuading Finance Secretary Derek Mackay to reverse £160m of proposed cuts to local councils.

Speed limit change?

“The list of Green achievements at Holyrood is long and getting longer,” he will tell supporters.

“We’re leading the change on issues from air pollution to rent control, and from the fracking ban to the announcement of a publicly owned energy company.

“It’s clear that the positive Green agenda we’ve been pushing for years is making real progress.”

Mr Harvie will also claim that a series of other policies proposed by his party could soon become law in Scotland, insisting there is “much more progress” ahead.

He will say that support is growing for changing the default speed limit in urban areas across Scotland from 30mph to 20mph – the subject of a Member’s Bill by Green MSP Mark Ruskell.

Ms Sturgeon’s commitment to investigating the feasibility of a Citizen’s Basic Income – which she reiterated yesterday despite criticism – is also a Green policy.

“Other parties will no doubt still take their time to catch up, but the radical Green agenda will keep moving the political agenda in the right direction,” Mr Harvie will add.

He will also argue that the party has long been ahead of the political curve, pointing out that many policies previously regarded as radical are now part of the mainstream.

“Leading the change is what Greens have always done,” he will say. “From our earliest days, long before devolution and fairer voting systems, we have pushed at the edges of what’s politically possible and forced others to respond.

“We must never stop pushing at the boundaries; we must never become the kind of party that tries to win by offering a safe, unchallenging middle-ground agenda.”