Lorna Slater | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2023 | |
| Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity | |
| In office 31 August 2021 – 25 April 2024 | |
| First Minister | Nicola Sturgeon Humza Yousaf |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Co-Leader of the Scottish Greens | |
| In office 1 August 2019 – 29 August 2025 Serving with Patrick Harvie | |
| Preceded by | Maggie Chapman (As Party Co-Convenor) Alison Johnstone (As Parliamentary Co-Leader) |
| Succeeded by | Gillian Mackay |
| Member of the Scottish Parliament forLothian (1 of 7 Regional MSPs) | |
| Assumed office 13 May 2021 | |
| Scottish Green portfolios | |
| 2021 | Economic Recovery and Green Industrial Strategy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Lorna Slater (1975-09-27)27 September 1975 (age 50) |
| Party | Scottish Greens |
| Alma mater | University of British Columbia |
| Occupation | |
| Website | Lorna Slater |
Lorna Slater (born 27 September 1975) is a Canadian politician in Scotland who served asMinister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity in theScottish Government from 2021 to 2024. She was co-leader of theScottish Greens, alongsidePatrick Harvie, from 2019 to 2025, and was one of the first Green politicians in the UK to serve as government ministers.
Slater has been aMember of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for theLothian region since2021. Slater is a candidate for theEdinburgh Central constituency in the newly formedEdinburgh and Lothians East electoral region at the upcoming2026 Scottish Parliament election.[1]
Lorna Slater was born inCalgary in the Canadian province ofAlberta.[2][3][4] She was educated at theWestern Canada High School.[5] From 1993 to 2000, she attended theUniversity of British Columbia inVancouver, where she gained a degree inelectro-mechanical engineering design.[6]
In 2000, a month after she was due to graduate, she purchased a one-way ticket toGlasgow and planned to travel across Europe for two years, but ended up staying in Scotland.[4] After moving there, she worked as an engineer in therenewables sector, then later as a project manager.[7][8]
In 2018, she was one of three women from Scotland awarded a place on theHomeward Bound international leadership development programme. This included a trip toAntarctica the following year, during which she studied theeffects of climate change.[9][10][11]
Slater became politically involved following the2014 Scottish independence referendum, where she campaigned in favour ofScottish independence and subsequently joined the Scottish Greens.[12] Slater has campaigned for the removal of theBritish monarchy and for an independent Scotland to be ademocratic republic.[13]
Slater has been an election candidate for the Scottish Greens several times. At the2016 Scottish Parliament election, the party named her third on theLothian list,[14] while in2017 general election, she was one of only three candidates fielded by the Scottish Greens,[8] standing forEdinburgh North and Leith.[15]
In April 2019, in aCity of Edinburgh Council by-election for theLeith Walk ward, she took a 25.5 per cent share of first preference votes, finishing second.[16] She was co-convener of the Scottish Greens Operations Committee when she was named second on the list of the party's candidates for the2019 European Parliament election.[17]
Changes to theScottish Greens' constitution meant the positions of co-conveners were abolished in favour of the newly established positions of co-leaders. In the run up to the2019 Scottish Greens co-leadership election, Slater announced her candidacy viaTwitter. When announcing her candidacy, she stated that the party was ready for a "fresh new start." Upon winning, she said that she wanted to get morewomen andnon-binary people elected, and to gain more seats than ever before at the2021 Scottish Parliament election.[9]
On 1 August 2019, the results were announced and Slater replacedMaggie Chapman as the female co-leader (formerly co-convenor). She gained 30.2%, coming second place. She served alongsidePatrick Harvie for a two-year term.[9] As Slater was not amember of the Scottish Parliament,Alison Johnstone served as co-leader of the Scottish Greens within theScottish Parliament, until the2021 Scottish Parliament election.
Slater became a prominent figure in the lead up to the Scottish parliamentary election, with her being featured in TV Debates and interviews. In the first televised debate onBBC Scotland, Slater urged action on climate change, stating; "Science tells us we have less than 10 years before the climate breakdown goes past the point of no return. The time to act is now." She also reinstated how the Scottish Greens would support legislation on another referendum onScottish independence within the "next term of parliament".[18]
In the2021 election to the6th Scottish Parliament, theScottish Greens saw their best result ever. The party gained 8.1% of votes on the regional list, earning two additional seats. As theScottish National Party was one seat away from a majority, the Greens' gain in the election created a pro-independence majority. Slater predicted the Greens "will have more influence than ever".[19]
Slater stood as the Greens' candidate for theEdinburgh Northern and Leith constituency in the2021 Scottish Parliament election. She gained 13.1% of the votes, but failed to win the seat, coming third.[20] Although Slater was unsuccessful in winning the constituency, she was second on the party list vote for theLothian region, and was elected as anadditional member.[21]
Slater was a member of the Scottish Parliament'sEconomy and Fair Work Committee[22] as well as the Scottish Greens' Spokesperson on Economic Recovery and Green Industrial Strategy.[22]
On 18 May 2021, Slater delivered hermaiden speech to theScottish Parliament. She called on all the parties to "work constructively and across party lines" to make transformative change. She also called on for the parliament to build a case for Scotland to leave the United Kingdom and believes the nation should vote again in another independence referendum.[23]
We can take many of these steps now, without waiting for independence. But completing the necessary transformation must also involve asking the people of Scotland to choose their own future and building the case for independence which is based on transformation, on building the Scotland we want to see. A fair and green Scotland that is in charge of its own destiny.
On 10 June 2021, a picture was shared on social media which showed Slater and other members of the Greens, including co-leaderPatrick Harvie and MSP forWest ScotlandRoss Greer, breachingsocial distancing measures. At the time only three households were allowed meet indoors. However,The Scottish Sun reported that Slater, Harvie, Greer and another Green Party member were pictured at a bar in Edinburgh. Slater responded, "This was an honest mistake, we're kicking ourselves and we apologise unreservedly".[24]
.jpg)
In August 2021 after weeks of talks, she was at Bute House with co-leaderPatrick Harvie and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to announce apower-sharing agreement that would see the Green party in government for the first time in the United Kingdom. There was no agreement on oil and gas exploration. As part of the agreement the Green Party would have two ministers in government.[25]
On 30 August 2021, Slater was appointed as a junior minister in the Scottish Government asMinister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity. She and Harvie are the first Green Party politicians in both Scottish and UK political history to serve in government.[26]
She was re-appointed as a minister after Green MSPs supported the nomination ofHumza Yousaf as First Minister.[27][28]
Slater joined First Minister Humza Yousaf andMinister for IndependenceJamie Hepburn to launch the Scottish government's proposal for how citizenship would work in an independent Scotland in July 2023.[29][30]
In December 2023, she joined the Traveling Cabinet inHaddington, East Lothian.[31] She then took part in a question and answer session with local residents with the Scottish Cabinet. It has been reported she attended that Cabinet meeting and other emergency Cabinet meetings as part of efforts to finalize the Scottish budget and get agreement between the Greens and SNP.[32]
In November 2021 Slater announced that a flagship recycling scheme for drinks containers had been delayed yet again. Although prior to her election Slater had told voters the scheme "needs doing", in government she said it was proving too tricky. Greenpeace said such, "a shambolic delay to the long awaited deposit return scheme is embarrassing for a government which loves to shout about its green credentials."[33]
.jpg)
On 18 April 2023, the First Minister,Humza Yousaf announced the scheme would be delayed until March 2024, while theScottish Government awaited an exemption for the scheme from theUnited Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020.[34][35] Subsequently, after theUK Government decision to provide a partial exemption from the Act, Slater announced that the scheme would be delayed "until October 2025 at the earliest" and said that the UK Government "sadly seemed so far more intent on sabotaging this parliament than protecting our environment."[36][37] Circularity Scotland, the body set up to deliver the scheme said it was "disappointed" by Slater's decision.[38]
After delaying the scheme, she was subject to avote of no confidence in Parliament, with the Conservatives accusing Slater of being "out of her depth".[39] During the No Confidence debate, Humza Yousaf described the motion as a 'stunt' to distract from the report onBoris Johnson, a perspective shared by Slater herself, who had earlier called the motion "a shameless political stunt."[40] The motion was defeated by 68 votes to 55 resulting in Slater surviving the vote and remaining as a junior minister.[40]
.jpg)
Slater launched a consultation on the Scottish Government'sbiodiversity framework in September 2023.[41] Part of it, the biodiversity strategy had previously been delayed to allow for further development, which led to criticism from theScottish Conservatives[42] It proposes to halt the decline of biodiversity and create a “nature-positive” Scotland by 2030.[43]
Marine conversation campaigners had criticised the strategy as a "paper exercise in delay".[44] Slater disagreed, calling the criticism a "disappointing portrayal …[that] we neither recognise nor accept."[44]
In the2021 Scottish Parliament election campaign, Slater's fellow co-leader,Patrick Harvie proposed two new national parks for Scotland. After the election, she gained the ministerial portfolio for national parks, and outlined the process for selecting one or more new national parks.[45] In October 2023, Slater reaffirmed the promise to create at least two new national parks.[46]
TheCircular Economy Bill was introduced to the Scottish Parliament by Slater in June 2023.[47] Slater argues the bill targets “lazy, anti-social behaviour” and the country's growing “throw away culture” by introducing further regulation on waste disposal.[47][48] Slater's proposals were welcomed byFriends of the Earth Scotland.[49] The Bill is currently undergoing stage one scrutiny by theNet Zero, Energy and Transport Committee who criticised the "entirely unrealistic" costings that accompany the bill.[50]
Slater was criticised for avoiding questions from MSPs about the Bill by some commentators.[51] Some campaigners had advocated for the Slater to go further, and include provision for education about the circular economy.[52]
Slater is autistic, and has often discussed its effect on her life and work.[53]
She is also a hobbyaerialist[54] and previously had a petbearded dragon named Bellamy, afterDavid Bellamy.[55]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Co-leader of theScottish Greens 2019 – present With:Patrick Harvie | Incumbent |
