Conservative MSPs file motion of no confidence against Lorna Slater

Conservative MSPs have successfully submitted a motion of no confidence against Scottish minister Lorna Slater.

Slater, the Scottish Government’s minister for green skills, circular economy and biodiversity, has recently come under fire as the MSP responsible for Scotland’s deposit return scheme (DRS).

It was confirmed earlier this month that the scheme will not begin until October 2025 at the earliest, Slater claiming changes imposed by the UK Government made it impossible for the plans to go ahead as planned.

The announcement marked the fourth time the scheme has been delayed.

On Monday evening, Scottish Conservative MSP Liam Kerr submitted a motion of no confidence in Slater.

The motion, on the Parliament website, reads: “That the Parliament has no confidence in the minister for green skills, circular economy and biodiversity, in light of the failure of the proposed Scottish Deposit Return Scheme.”

If a no confidence motion gets support from 25 MSPs – as this motion has – the Parliamentary Bureau schedules it for debate and a vote.

The motion has thus far been supported by: Jeremy Balfour, Miles Briggs, Alexander Burnett, Donald Cameron, Jackson Carlaw, Finlay Carson, Sharon Dowey, Russell Findlay, Murdo Fraser, Meghan Gallacher, Maurice Golden, Pam Gosal, Jamie Greene, Dr. Sandesh Gulhane, Jamie Halcro Johnston, Rachael Hamilton, Craig Hoy, Stephen Kerr, Douglas Lumsden, Roz McCall, Edward Mountain, Oliver Mundell, Douglas Ross, Graham Simpson, Liz Smith, Alexander Stewart, Sue Webber, Annie Wells, Tess White, Brian Whittle.

Scottish Greens co-leader Slater recently also faced backlash after hiring a £1,200 boat to visit the Isle of Rum last month, to discuss the future of Kinloch Castle.

A return ticket on the ferry to Rum costs £9.40 – although it is not clear how many officials travelled with Slater, which would inflate the price.

The Scottish Greens called the vote a “cynical and shameless political stunt” by an “increasingly desperate” party.

Green co-leader Patrick Harvie said: “Lorna has been at the forefront of delivering a fairer, greener and better Scotland. She has overseen a record investment in wildlife and nature, an end to new incineration and a ban on the worst single-use plastics. She always puts Scotland first.

“I am proud to work with Lorna in her capacity as a party co-leader and as a Minister. The politics that she represents are everything that the Tories rail against, so it is no wonder that they are attacking her in the spiteful, and often misogynistic way they have done for months.

“Only the Tories would have the audacity to move a motion of no confidence in the leader of another party on the very same evening that MPs were voting to seal the fate of their lying, duplicitous and shamed former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.”