Achi news desk-
The Scottish Government used to be able to rely on Scottish Oasis for that parliamentary support, but last month Humza Yousaf scrapped the power-sharing deal.
READ MORE: John Swinney confirmed as the new leader of the SNP
The move left him facing two confidence motions, both of which he risked losing, ultimately forcing him to resign.
Patrick Harvie – who lost his ministerial post when Mr Yousaf scrapped the Bute House Agreement – said he and his colleagues would support Mr Swinney, but there were conditions.
These included “important policies already on their way to delivery as a result of the Bute House Agreement including better rights for tenants and rent controls, transforming the way we heat our homes and a blanket ban on conversion therapy.”
Controversies have related to elements of the heating strategy, including the banning of wood burning stoves in new buildings and the demand for house owners to switch from fossil fuel boilers to heat pumps or other green energy schemes.
The proposed conversion therapy ban has also been controversial.
In a statement, Mr Harvie said: “Scotland needs a period of stable government. Mr Swinney knows that if he wants to get our support then it must be based on progressive policies that help us tackle the climate crisis and build a fairer and more equal future.
“The next Scottish Government will face an important choice. Will they offer a progressive vision for the future of Scotland, or will they retreat towards the dull middle ground, which would force them to rely on the Tories and other pro-union parties?
“There are many important policies already on the way to deliver as a result of the Bute House Agreement, including better rights for tenants and rent controls, transforming the way we heat our homes and a blanket ban on conversion therapy.
“We remain fully committed to these policies and will oppose any departure from them or steps to weaken them. It is also clear that the new Climate Measure must be used to ensure the speed of change which has been lacking since the SNP started to miss climate targets.”
The ASA said his party was “open to discussions with John Swinney and his team.”
READ MORE: Scottish Law Society criticizes SNP conversion therapy ban
The legislation surrounding the van in conversion therapy is still being developed, but the central proposal in a consultation document released earlier this year is a new offense of engaging in conversion practice “whether that is provided by a healthcare practitioner, family member or religious leader”.
The paper defines conversion practices as where there is “a purpose or intent to change or suppress the sexual orientation or gender identity of another individual”.
He then gives a number of examples, including prescribing medication to suppress a person’s sexual drive, or therapy or counseling that requires a person not to act on their same-sex attraction, including through celebrity.
It also suggests making it an offense to restrict where a person goes, who they see and how they dress.
Any such act would become illegal with one possible penalty being “imprisonment for a period not exceeding seven years.”
Last month, the Law Society of Scotland warned that the proposed legislation was too “broad” and could prohibit “ordinary activities by religious organisations”.
A number of Mr Swinney’s own MLAs are unhappy with the plan.
