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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Scottish Green leaders to snub King's cathedral ceremony | Scottish Green leaders to snub King's cathedral ceremony |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater pictured at the Scottish Greens' spring party conference earlier this year | Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater pictured at the Scottish Greens' spring party conference earlier this year |
| The co-leaders of the Scottish Greens have confirmed they will not attend a service of thanksgiving for King Charles III in Edinburgh this week. | |
| Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater are both outspoken republican MSPs as well as government ministers. | Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater are both outspoken republican MSPs as well as government ministers. |
| Mr Harvie will instead speak at a rally outside Holyrood organised by the anti-monarchy group Our Republic. | Mr Harvie will instead speak at a rally outside Holyrood organised by the anti-monarchy group Our Republic. |
| Scottish Conservative MSP Donald Cameron said the decision was "akin to student politics". | Scottish Conservative MSP Donald Cameron said the decision was "akin to student politics". |
| Alex Salmond, the former first minister and SNP leader, also said he had "politely declined" an invitation to attend the ceremony. | |
| The national service of thanksgiving on Wednesday will see the King being presented with the Scottish crown jewels in a ceremony to mark his Coronation. | |
| King to be presented with Scottish crown jewels | King to be presented with Scottish crown jewels |
| Green MSPs boycott Queen's jubilee debate | Green MSPs boycott Queen's jubilee debate |
| Last year, members of the Scottish Greens boycotted a debate at Holyrood at which MSPs congratulated the late Queen on her Platinum Jubilee. | |
| At the time, the party - which is part of a Scottish government power-sharing deal - said a head of state should be chosen by, and be accountable to, voters. | |
| Confirming her intention not to attend Wednesday's ceremony, Ms Slater said: "In 21st Century Scotland, the monarchy is nothing to celebrate." | Confirming her intention not to attend Wednesday's ceremony, Ms Slater said: "In 21st Century Scotland, the monarchy is nothing to celebrate." |
| She added: "It is an out-of-date and undemocratic institution. | She added: "It is an out-of-date and undemocratic institution. |
| "How can we justify a system that allows one family to enjoy so much unearned wealth and privilege at a time when millions of people have so little?" | "How can we justify a system that allows one family to enjoy so much unearned wealth and privilege at a time when millions of people have so little?" |
| Scottish Green Party co-leader Lorna Slater met the Queen at the opening of the sixth session of the Scottish Parliament in October 2021 | |
| Mr Harvie added that the monarchy was one of the reasonshe supported Scottish independence. | |
| He said: "There are many people in Scotland who regard the monarchy as a tiresome spectacle and a symbol of values we don't hold." | He said: "There are many people in Scotland who regard the monarchy as a tiresome spectacle and a symbol of values we don't hold." |
| "I will be proud to speak at the Our Republic rally, and to stand with others who want to build a more democratic society, where power and wealth belongs to the people rather than being passed down as an inheritance." | |
| Donald Cameron said Mr Harvie's choice to speak at the rally instead was "predictably infantile". | Donald Cameron said Mr Harvie's choice to speak at the rally instead was "predictably infantile". |
| 'Out of touch' | |
| He added: "If he wants to ask big questions, he should start with how he conducts himself as a government minister. | He added: "If he wants to ask big questions, he should start with how he conducts himself as a government minister. |
| "The Greens may have failed to deliver a deposit-return scheme, but they can definitely recycle tedious anti-monarchy rants. | |
| "As on so many issues, the extremist Greens are out of touch with the majority of Scots, who see the Coronation and the King's commitment to Scotland as something to celebrate." | |
| Meanwhile, Mr Salmond - who publicly backed keeping the monarchy in an independent Scotland while he was first minister - predicted that King Charles would be the "last king of Scots". | |
| He added: "This really is not the time to be wasting money on public displays of fealty to a King. It is the time for a renewed debate on why Scotland needs to take its own future into its own hands. | |
| "I believe Scotland will become an independent country, and when we do, I suspect the majority of people will want a fresh start on the basis of an elected head of state." | |
| The King won't exactly be shocked to hear that Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater will not be attending the service. | |
| He will know they are not there. It's not something that will slip under the radar - he is kept up-to-date with all affairs of state. | |
| For the Greens, as avowed republicans, if they did go to St Giles's, they would feel they were betraying their own principles. | |
| Mr Harvie will address the Our Republic demonstration instead. | Mr Harvie will address the Our Republic demonstration instead. |
| But there's a tension. | But there's a tension. |
| Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater are ministers of the Crown - some maybe question if there's a "disloyalty" here? | |
| However, it's not the Middle Ages and heads will not roll. | |
| They were, after all, democratically elected by people who clearly share their views. | They were, after all, democratically elected by people who clearly share their views. |
| Widening this out though, the first minister will attend - although he's a republican too. | Widening this out though, the first minister will attend - although he's a republican too. |
| It's easy for him to make an argument about why he has to be present at the service. | It's easy for him to make an argument about why he has to be present at the service. |
| Mr Yousaf previously made clear he went to the Coronation as he represents all the people of Scotland. | Mr Yousaf previously made clear he went to the Coronation as he represents all the people of Scotland. |
| Perhaps there's a certain irony though about the nature of the Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication. | Perhaps there's a certain irony though about the nature of the Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication. |
| The King was crowned as King of the United Kingdom at Westminster Abbey - and this is most certainly not a "Scottish Coronation". | The King was crowned as King of the United Kingdom at Westminster Abbey - and this is most certainly not a "Scottish Coronation". |
| But all the rich panoply of what would seem to be Scottish "statehood" will be on show at St Giles. | But all the rich panoply of what would seem to be Scottish "statehood" will be on show at St Giles. |
| It highlights Scotland's history as an independent nation and the service now emphasises that ancient past in the United Kingdom. | It highlights Scotland's history as an independent nation and the service now emphasises that ancient past in the United Kingdom. |
| So despite the opposition from some quarters, others who share pro-independence views will take a different view about the event. | So despite the opposition from some quarters, others who share pro-independence views will take a different view about the event. |
| Some Scottish nationalists who hail from the more traditional and monarchist wing of the movement will watch tomorrow with a real sense of "what could be" - as they see that sense of Scottish "statehood" played out in front of His Majesty. | Some Scottish nationalists who hail from the more traditional and monarchist wing of the movement will watch tomorrow with a real sense of "what could be" - as they see that sense of Scottish "statehood" played out in front of His Majesty. |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Patrick Harvie | Patrick Harvie |
| Scottish Greens | Scottish Greens |
| Monarchy | Monarchy |
| King Charles III | King Charles III |
| Lorna Slater | Lorna Slater |