Scottish Greens co-leader Ross Greer has described the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government as a “massive backward step”.
Mr Greer is a West of Scotland MSP and represents the regional list area covering the whole of Renfrewshire.
He criticised the programme over its approach to the climate crisis, the timetable for extending the £2 bus fare cap and the decision to shelve plans to ban so-called “conversion therapy”.
Mr Greer said: “This is a deeply disappointing programme, and not one that Nicola Sturgeon would have signed off on.
“It is full of recycled announcements and a huge backward step in key areas when we needed bold change.”
He welcomed the expansion of the £2 bus fare cap to the West of Scotland, which will allow passengers across Renfrewshire to benefit.
He said the existing cap in the Highlands and Islands had been secured by the Scottish Greens and described it as a success.
Mr Greer said: “We pushed for its expansion across the rest of the country as soon as possible and we are glad bus users across the West of Scotland will start saving money from next week.
“Delaying the roll out to the rest of the country by up to five years is completely unacceptable though. Bus passengers in every corner of Scotland should enjoy the savings from a £2 fare cap by the end of this year, not wait until 2031.”
Mr Greer also criticised ministers for shelving plans to ban practices known as “conversion therapy”.
He disputed the Scottish Government’s stated intention to engage with the UK Government on a four-nations approach. He said Westminster had already published legislation applying only to England and Wales.
Mr Greer said: “It is the Scottish Government’s job to protect LGBTQ people here, but they are refusing to do so.”
He also raised concerns about applications for hyperscale data centres in Scotland and their possible effect on the country’s energy supply.
Mr Greer called for an immediate halt to applications while a strategy is developed.
He said: “That is despite the first 24 of these applications requiring one and a half times our entire country’s peak energy demands if they are approved. That is clearly absurd. It would be a disaster for our climate, our energy grid and for local communities.
“The Scottish Greens will continue pushing for that pause until a serious strategy can be developed and this wave of speculative applications brought under control.”
Mr Greer said the programme did not match the scale of the challenges Scotland faces on the climate, cost of living, public services and human rights.
He added: “This is a remarkable retreat from the progressive agenda of Nicola Sturgeon.
“At May’s Holyrood election, record numbers of people voted Green. They wanted MSPs willing to take on the super-rich and tackle the climate crisis. That is exactly what we will fight for. If the SNP want to work with us on this agenda, they will need to do far better than the lacklustre programme published today.”
First Minister John Swinney said public service reform was at the heart of the programme and would deliver lasting improvements.
He said: “By rewiring a system of services designed for the last century, we will simplify and reshape organisations on which everyone relies and ensure every pound of investment achieves maximum impact.
“As we do so, we will build on the most generous cost of living package anywhere in the UK while continuing to tackle inequality, poverty and division.
“This is a Programme for Government to deliver a fairer, healthier and more prosperous nation.”
Mr Swinney also said Scotland would only reach its full potential by becoming an independent country.
He added: “We will give the leadership for Scotland to decide her own future and advance our belief that Scotland will be better off with Independence.”