Reading the article "Greens set to back SNP minority government" in the Courier this morning (click on headline above to view story), I was reminded of the letter I received from a Green Party supporter some months ago, criticising the Liberal Democrats on the City Council for backing a Council motion (supported by Labour, Conservative & SNP as well as ourselves) calling for removal of tolls on the Tay Bridge.
The Greens, he made clear, strongly support retention of the tolls on the Tay Bridge (despite the clear unfairness of the fact that tolls on the Erskine and Skye bridges have already gone but ours remain) and the actions of the Greens in the parliament indicates they have consistently supported tolls retention.
The question has to be asked, if the Greens are genuinely to try to prop up Alex Salmond, is the price of this that the SNP drops its tolls abolition policy?
I have never been much convinced of the SNP's so-called conversion to 'no tolls' on the Tay and Forth Bridges. Let's quote from an SNP press release during the Dunfermline and West Fife by-election early last year:
"The SNP is campaigning for a freeze in the level of tolls on the Forth road bridge at £1."
(source : http://www.snp.org/press-releases/2006/snp_press_release.2006-01-26.2988114605/view?searchterm=tolls)
So I think we need reassurance from Mr Salmond as to what he is giving away to the Greens in return for their support.
PS : I did not think the body language of Robin Harper, Shiona Baird and Patrick Harvie as they left St Andrew's House (or indeed that of Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon) gave any indication that talks had been exactly a meeting of minds.