Co-leaders of the Scottish Green Party | |
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Type | Party leader |
Member of | Scottish Green Party Executive Scottish Green Party Council |
Appointer | Scottish Greens membership |
Term length | 2 years No restriction on renewal |
Precursor | Convenor of the Scottish Green Party |
Inaugural holder | Patrick Harvie (as Co-Leader) Lorna Slater (as Co-Leader) |
Formation | 1 August 2019 |
Website | https://greens.scot/ScottishGreensInGovernment |
The co-leaders of the Scottish Green Party are the leaders of the Scottish Green Party. The incumbents are Ross Greer and Gillian Mackay who were elected in August 2025 as co-leaders. [2] [3] [4] The co-leaders are responsible for the political leadership of the party, and act as its principle spokespersons. [5]
The role was introduced in 2019, following constitutional changes in the party, replacing the co-convenors. [6]
The position of co-leaders of the party were created on 1 August 2019, due to changes in the party's constitution. The changes replaced the old co-conveners system with a new co-leader system. An election for this was held, which Lorna Slater and Patrick Harvie won. [2]
The voting system used to elect the co-leaders is the Single Transferable Vote. [7] The constitution changes also stated that at least one of the leaders has to be a woman. [8] Unlike most political parties, Scottish Green co-leaders are only elected for two year terms. [9]
For Electoral Commission registration purposes, only one person may legally be named party leader. Initially, this 'leader' was selected from one of the parliamentary group, solely for that administrative purpose. [10] However, since the introduction of the co-leaders they have taken it in turn to serve as 'leader' for that purpose.
Most co-leadership elections are only contested by the incumbents. [9] [11] Some exceptions include:
Convenor | Took office | Left office | |
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![]() | Robin Harper [15] | 1990 | 2002 |
![]() | Eleanor Scott [16] MSP for the Highlands and Islands (2003–2007) | 2002 | 2003 |
![]() | Martin Stepek [17] | 2003 | 2004 |
Term | Male Co-convenors | Female Co-convenors | ||
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Portrait | Name | Portrait | Name | |
2004–2007 | ![]() | Robin Harper | Shiona Baird [18] MSP for North East Scotland (2003–2007) | |
2007–2008 | ![]() | Alison Johnstone [19] Councillor for Meadows/Morningside (2007–2012) | ||
22 September 2008 – 2011 | ![]() | Patrick Harvie | ![]() | Eleanor Scott MSP for the Highlands and Islands (2003–2007) |
2011 – November 2013 | Martha Wardrop [20] Councillor for Hillhead (2007–2017) | |||
November 2013 – 1 August 2019 | ![]() | Maggie Chapman [21] Councillor for Leith Walk (2007–2015) |
Co-leaders | Term start | Term end | Government | |||
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Portrait | Name | Portrait | Name | |||
![]() | Patrick Harvie MSP for Glasgow (2003–present) | ![]() | Lorna Slater MSP for Lothian (2021–present) | 1 August 2019 | 29 August 2025 | Third Sturgeon Government |
![]() | Ross Greer MSP for West Scotland (2016–present) | ![]() | Gillian Mackay MSP for Central Scotland (2021–present) | 29 August 2025 | Incumbent | Swinney government |
In 2019 Lorna Slater and Patrick Harvie were elected Co-leaders of the Scottish Greens. As Slater was not an elected official, while Harvie was a long-standing Member of the Scottish Parliament, in the interest of gender-balancing senior female Green MSP Alison Johnstone was appointed Co-leader of the Green Parliamentary Group alongside Harvie. [22]
This arrangement ceased upon Slater's election to the Scottish Parliament in 2021.
Co-leaders in the Scottish Parliament | Term start | Term end | Government | |||
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Portrait | Name | Portrait | Name | |||
![]() | Patrick Harvie | ![]() | Alison Johnstone | 1 August 2019 | 5 May 2021 | Second Sturgeon government |