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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Scottish Green leader stands down | Scottish Green leader stands down |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Veteran MSP Robin Harper has decided to quit as co-leader of of the Scottish Green Party. | Veteran MSP Robin Harper has decided to quit as co-leader of of the Scottish Green Party. |
| The Lothians MSP became the first Green parliamentarian when devolution began in 1999 and is Scotland's longest serving party leader. | |
| The 68-year-old, who will stand down in November, called on the party to consider appointing a single, overall leader in future. | The 68-year-old, who will stand down in November, called on the party to consider appointing a single, overall leader in future. |
| Mr Harper said he would stand down as an MSP at the next election. | Mr Harper said he would stand down as an MSP at the next election. |
| He stressed he was not retiring just yet, but added: "I would dearly love to spend more time with my wife, and for that matter with myself, I expect to see few changes to my lifestyle for the moment. | He stressed he was not retiring just yet, but added: "I would dearly love to spend more time with my wife, and for that matter with myself, I expect to see few changes to my lifestyle for the moment. |
| "It is a great honour to serve my party, and I intend to continue to do so in a wide variety of ways. | "It is a great honour to serve my party, and I intend to continue to do so in a wide variety of ways. |
| "The politics and economics of the future must be green if we are to survive and thrive, living imaginatively and productively within our ecological means." | "The politics and economics of the future must be green if we are to survive and thrive, living imaginatively and productively within our ecological means." |
| The Scottish Greens have traditionally opted for a male/female co-leadership under their equal rights policy - but Mr Harper said it was time to consider opting for a single "Scottish Green leader". | The Scottish Greens have traditionally opted for a male/female co-leadership under their equal rights policy - but Mr Harper said it was time to consider opting for a single "Scottish Green leader". |
| The move would leave the door open for the only other Green MSP, the highly ambitious Patrick Harvie, to take over. | The move would leave the door open for the only other Green MSP, the highly ambitious Patrick Harvie, to take over. |
| In the wake of the Green Party of England and Wales opting for a single leader, Mr Harper added: "I feel we should at least have a discussion in the Scottish Green Party about moves in this direction well before the next election." |