Scottish Greens leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater to walk away with £17,000 payout after being axed from government by Humza Yousaf

The Scottish Greens’ co-leaders are set to share a £17,000 taxpayer-funded windfall for being axed from authorities.

First Minister Humza Yousaf’s resolution to sack Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater from his authorities will result in them each receiving a profitable pay-off.

Any minister who loses their job is entitled to a ‘resettlement grant’ price 25 per cent of their wage.

Which means that Mr Harvie, who served as Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Lively Journey and Tenants’ Rights, and Ms Slater, who was Minister for Inexperienced Expertise, Round Economic system and Biodiversity, will each obtain a cost of £8,497.

Mr Yousaf now faces a scramble to search out replacements to hold out the roles.

Mr Yousaf mentioned yesterday that Ms Slater and Mr Harvie’s roles ‘can be absorbed by the Cupboard Secretary’s at the moment, after which in fact we’ll give some consideration to how they’re appropriately divvied up sooner or later’

Senior figures comparable to former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, ex-Deputy First Minister John Swinney and former Finance Secretary Kate Forbes are unlikely to be thought of for junior ministerial roles.

A number of others who’ve not too long ago rebelled in opposition to Mr Yousaf’s Scottish Authorities, together with Fergus Ewing, Christine Grahame, Michelle Thomson and Ivan McKee, are additionally lengthy pictures.

It leaves a restricted variety of backbenchers to select from who don’t already maintain authorities roles.

Mr Yousaf mentioned yesterday that Ms Slater and Mr Harvie’s roles ‘can be absorbed by the Cupboard Secretary’s at the moment, after which in fact we’ll give some consideration to how they’re appropriately divvied up sooner or later’.

In his formal letter to the 2 former ministers, he mentioned: ‘We will all be happy with our work collectively to construct a greener, fairer and unbiased Scotland.’