Bitter dispute erupts as Greens Ross Greer suggests Fergus Ewing may have an alcohol problem
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Greens MSP Ross Greer has hit back at Fergus Ewing for labelling the Greens “wine bar revolutionaries” by appearing to suggest the Inverness and Nairn MSP has a problem with alcohol.
In Holyrood last week Mr Ewing slammed the Greens “economic masochism” over developing new gas reserves in the North Sea, underlining that imported fossil fuels came with a higher carbon footprint.
On the BBC Sunday Show Mr Greer said: “To be fair to Fergus, I think he knows a lot more about wine bars than I do.”
For some the statement will carry uncomfortable echoes of the vitriolic campaign that targeted Charles Kennedy over the late Liberal Democrat’s alcohol addiction. He lost his seat in May 2015 and died a month after the election.
Mr Greer, a West Scotland MSP, has form when it comes to making controversial public statements, previously describing the Highlands as "desolate" and "sterile" and potentially in need of more windfarms.
He was asked about Mr Ewing’s “wine bar revolutionaries” jibe and said: “To be fair to Fergus, I think he knows a lot more about wine bars than I do, but the man’s so far on the backbenches you would need a flashlight to find him.
“Ninety-five percent of SNP members voted for the Bute House Agreement. And we can see from public polling that the Scottish Greens are more popular than we were two years ago when we entered government.
"That's because we're actually delivering things people want and need.
“It's the Greens in government who delivered a rent freeze keeping tenants in their homes over the winter. We've delivered an eviction ban that we've extended across the summer into this year as well. We’ve delivered under-22 free bus travel. We're now about to remove peak time rail fares.
He added: “It's Greens in government who are delivering what people really need right now to help them through the cost of living crisis and to take action on the climate emergency, which we all recognise needs to be our top priority.”
Mr Ewing has been highly critical of the Greens in recent months, saying policies such as the Deposit Return Scheme were potentially "catastrophic" before it was postponed.
