| Post: | Co-leaders |
| Body: | the Scottish Green Party |
| Flag: | Scottish Greens flag.svg |
| Flagsize: | 125px |
| Flagcaption: | Flag of the Scottish Green Party |
| Insignia: | ScottishGreensLogo Green.svg |
| Insigniacaption: | Logo of the Scottish Green Party |
| Insigniasize: | 100px |
| Type: | Party leader |
| Termlength: | 2 years |
| Inaugural: | Patrick Harvie (as Co-Leader) Lorna Slater (as Co-Leader) |
| Precursor: | Convenor of the Scottish Green Party |
| Appointer: | Scottish Greens membership |
| Formation: | 1 August 2019 |
| Member Of: | Scottish Green Party Executive Scottish Green Party Council |
| Website: | https://greens.scot/ScottishGreensInGovernment |
| Termlength Qualified: | No restriction on renewal |
The co-leaders of the Scottish Green Party are the leaders of the Scottish Green Party. The incumbents are Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater who were elected in August 2019 as the inaugural co-leaders.[1] [2] [3] The co-leaders are responsible for the political leadership of the party, and act as its principle spokespersons.[4]
The role was introduced in 2019, following constitutional changes in the party, replacing the co-convenors.[5] When the Scottish Green Party are a party in a coalition government, the co-leaders would usually become ministers in the government.
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.
The voting system used to elect the co-leaders is the Single Transferable Vote.[6] The constitution changes also stated that at least one of the leaders has to be a woman.[7] Unlike most political parties, Scottish Green co-leaders are only elected for two year terms.[8]
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.[9] 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.[10] Some exceptions include:
| Term | Male Co-convenors | Female Co-convenors | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | Name | Portrait | Name | |
| 2004–2007 | Robin HarperMSP for Lothian (1999–2011) | Shiona Baird[17] MSP for North East Scotland (2003–2007) | ||
| 2007–2008 | Alison Johnstone[18] Councillor for Meadows/Morningside (2007–2012) | |||
| 22 September 2008 – 2011 | Patrick HarvieMSP for Glasgow (2003–present) | Eleanor ScottMSP for the Highlands and Islands (2003–2007) | ||
| 2011 – November 2013 | Martha Wardrop[19] Councillor for Hillhead (2007–2017) | |||
| November 2013 – 1 August 2019 | Maggie Chapman[20] Councillor for Leith Walk (2007–2015) | |||
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.[21]
This arrangement ceased upon Slater's election to the Scottish Parliament in 2021.