STEPHEN Flynn has mocked the Scottish Greens as he hit back at their criticisms of the SNP council tax freeze.
The SNP’s Westminster leader took aim at the party’s former power-sharing partners, who were ditched last week, as he said the controversial move had been aimed at helping people who “don’t have money in their pockets”.
Speaking on Andrew Marr’s LBC show on Monday, the senior MP explained why he backed ending the Bute House Agreement.
He said: “The Scottish Government decided to freeze council tax, 70% of the population backed that, yet we’re having to deal with criticism from the Greens about the decision that we’ve made when people don’t have money in their pockets.
“That’s a pretty bitter pill to swallow.”
Marr (above) then said that the Scottish Greens were polling on “about one per cent”, to which Flynn quipped: “Are they that high? I wasn’t aware of that.”
According to Electoral Calculus, the party stand around 1.8% in Westminster voting intentions but poll at 4.6% in the constituency vote and 9.2% in the regional lists for Holyrood elections.
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Flynn added: “There’s obviously been some strong relationships built up and the reality is that moving forward people are going to have to act in a grown up manner in a parliament with a minority government, they’re going to have to come forward with proposals, costed proposals to take things forward.
“We all know that. Humza knew that when he took the decision that he did. As I say, I think it was the right decision in the interests of the public who want their government to be acting on the economy, on jobs on the NHS and the cost of living.”
Flynn has backed John Swinney to be the next leader of the SNP.
The Scottish Greens were approached for comment.
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