His recovery is expected to take at least six weeks so he will be absent from Holyrood for that period. It is understood that the 51-year-old Dumbarton Academy FP may work remotely for a period before making a public return.
According to the Daily Express, during his three years in the role, he spearheaded a number of unpopular policies, including proposing fines for homeowners who still have a gas boiler in 2030. He advocated for the installation of heat pumps, which are unsuitable for some properties, such as his own tenement flat.
Mr Harvie served in the Scottish Government with his fellow Greens co-leader Lorna Slater between 2021 and 2024 before former First Minister Mr Yousaf pulled the plug on the Bute House Agreement. It angered the party so much that they were going to back a vote of no confidence in him before he resigned.
Top of page: Patrick Harvie pictured with his fellow Greens co-leader Lorna Slater.
I remember well back around the election in 2016 Patrick Harvie was asked by Bernard Ponsonby if he would press ahead with increasing tax to 60% on the then high earners earning over £100,000 per year as it would reduce the overall tax take since many many high earners had the ability to flip where they paid tax.
Think MPs who live in London four nights a week and three nights in Scotland and you realise that all spending four nights in London could elect to pay English tax as opposed to Scottish tax or Irish tax and you get the picture of how relatively easy it is for many high earners to flip their tax.
Think also that when a high wage earner flips his tax it’s not the difference between the lower and higher rate tax that the tax authority loses but ALL the tax on ALL of the earnings that are lost and you get the picture where the treasury had calculated that very high rates of Scottish tax would REDUCE the overall tax take for Scotland.
And Patrick’s answer to this was to raise his a clenched fist in the air and say we need to show solidarity!
I’m surprised that Ponsonby did not say well all right Patrick, how many hospitals do you want to close down to show solidarity. He’s that type of person – and with a mindset like that he’d in all probability given the chance done just that.
But other than that, and politics aside I wish him a speedy recovery from whatever hospital is treating him.
I remember well back around the election in 2016 Patrick Harvey was asked by Bernard Ponsonby if he would press ahead with increasing tax to 60% on the then high earners earning over £100,000 per year as it would reduce the overall tax take since many many high earners had the ability to flip where they paid tax.
Think MPs who live in London four nights a week and three nights in Scotland and you realise that all spending four nights in London could elect to pay English tax as opposed to Scottish tax or Irish tax and you get the picture of how relatively easy it is for many high earners to flip their tax.
Think also that when a high wage earner flips his tax it’s not the difference between the lower and higher rate tax that the tax authority loses but ALL the tax on ALL of the earnings that are lost and you get the picture where the treasury had calculated that very high rates of Scottish tax would REDUCE the overall tax take for Scotland.
And Patrick’s answer to this was to raise his a clenched fist in the air and say we need to show solidarity!
I’m surprised that Ponsonby did not say well all right Patrick, how many hospitals do you want to close down to show solidarity. He’s that type of person – and with a mindset like that he’d in all probability given the chance done just that.
But other than that, and politics aside I wish him a speedy recovery from whatever hospital is treating him.