Patrick Harvie faces vote of no confidence over comments on Cass review on gender identity services

Patrick Harvie faces a potential vote of no confidence following his comments over the landmark Cass review into gender identity services for young people.

The Scottish Greens co-leader refused to say whether he accepted the report's conclusions when asked during an interview this week.

Asked five times if he accepts the report, the minister refused to say, instead claiming it has been "politicised and weaponised" against trans people.

The review - published earlier this month - highlighted a lack of evidence for some treatments of transgender young people and decried the "toxic" debate around the issue.

Ash Regan, the Alba party's sole MSP, has now lodged a motion of no confidence against Harvie.

The motion must be supported by at least 25 other Holyrood members to allow it to proceed to a vote.

Regan - who defected from the SNP to Alba last year - said: "The motion of no confidence speaks for itself. The Scottish Greens wish to side with ideology over clinical evidence.

"I am hopeful that MSPs will put good governance first, ahead of party lines, and support the motion."

The motion creates an awkward position for some SNP MSPs who are known for their gender critical stance and antipathy to the Greens.

Harvie later dismissed the threat of a no confidence vote.

He said: "The very small number of young people who have been told that they won’t now get access to the treatment that they need must be extremely distressed about that.

“I think our thoughts should be with them, rather than turning this into a pretty sordid political bit of game-playing.”

The motion comes as a senior SNP MP backed the powersharing deal between the two parties.

Alison Thewliss, the MP for Glasgow Central, said the Bute House Agreement "has brought the best of our parties and the best of our policies together".

She said: "I very much supported the Bute House Agreement.

"I think the partnership with the Greens has brought the best of our parties and the best of our policies together and I would support it staying."

Asked if she believes SNP members should be given a vote on the deal, she said: "From the SNP members I've been speaking to over the weekend, I don't perceive a huge groundswell of people calling for that.

"That may be something we wish to consider, but certainly I support the Bute House Agreement and I think that has been a positive thing."

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