The Herald: GERMANY, what an economic basket case, eh? When it comes to turning the wheels of industry, it’s a total rust bucket, right?

I’m clearly being sarcastic. There’s a rather visionless mantra doing the rounds that bringing the Green Party into a pact, or “formal cooperation agreement”, with the SNP imperils Scotland’s economy. That notion is shot to smithereens by the history of Germany’s economy, and the fact that Greens have had their hands on power there, in one form or another, for decades. Evidently, progressive Greens did Germany’s economy no harm at all. 

In fact, life in countries where the Greens are in power is pretty good. Finland, rated the world’s happiest nation for four years in a row by the UN, has Greens in coalition. Obviously, Green governance means greater focus on the environment, equality and economic fairness. A real ‘green new deal’ will mean jobs and money.

It’s equally absurd to say, though, that simply involving Greens in the Scottish government will transform the country into a land of milk and honey. It won’t. But the idea that Greens spell doom is nonsense.

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