PATRICK Harvie, the leader of the Scottish Greens, has played down the prospects of his party fighting next May's General Election on a joint Yes ticket with the other pro-independence parties.

He told the BBC's Sunday Politics Scotland that party members did not want their "distinctive Green perspective" to be lost.

His comments followed backing from two of the three SNP deputy leadership candidates, Stewart Hosie and Angela Constance, for some form of pro-Yes alliance to fight the Westminster election.

Both the Greens and ­Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) belonged to the official Yes Scotland campaign, alongside the SNP.

Mr Harvie said his party had agreed to review its election strategy at is conference earlier this month.

But, in reference to the rise in Green membership since the referendum, he added: "I'm very conscious that people who have chosen to join the Greens have specifically chosen to join the Greens."

Speaking ahead of all-party talks tomorrow aimed at brokering a new devolution deal for Holyrood, Mr Harvie also called for the parliament to be given greater powers over welfare, including the universal credit which is set to replace a series of benefits and tax credits.

Calling on the five Holyrood parties to compromise, he said: "If anyone digs their heels in and says they are not going to budge, it will fail."

Meanwhile the SSP, which will not take part in the talks as it has no MSPs, submitted its proposals to the Smith Commission yesterday.

It called for wide-ranging fiscal autonomy, with all tax revenues raised in Scotland spent by the Scottish Parliament.