Patrick Harvie brands radical left challengers 'out of order' as he addresses Greens' 'smugness'

Mr Harvie, who is standing down as co-leader of the Scottish Greens this summer, is running again to be re-elected as an MSP on the Glasgow regional list.

But party activists, who have been highly critical of the Greens going into government with the SNP and believe the party is not radical enough, have challenged him for his bid to re-enter Holyrood next year.

In a social media video ahead of the internal selection contest, three activists - Ellie Gomersall, Iris Duane and Councillor Seonad Hoy - insist that "a fresh start" is needed for the Greens, and that internal power has been "consolidated into a smaller and smaller group of people".

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The so-called ‘Glasgow faction’ is hoping to oust Mr Harvie ahead of next year's Holyrood election.

But Mr Harvie has hit back, saying the Greens must work with others and be a broad church.

He told the BBC: “For a long time, the Greens sometimes were guilty of - and sometimes even felt satisfied about - just saying 'we're right, everyone else is wrong'.

"Sometimes that can make activists feel satisfied. But it doesn't achieve very much. And I think to a lot of voters it comes across as smugness."

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Addressing some of those within his party trying to remove him from running for office next year, Mr Harvie claimed some "never accepted the legitimacy of the decision on the Bute House Agreement” with the SNP, adding that they “set out to try and undermine not just the position of the party but some of the individuals [involved]”.

Mr Harvie said: “That behaviour is out of order.”

Ahead of Humza Yousaf pulling the plug on the Bute House Agreement, some party activists had grown frustrated about criticism of their party from some in the SNP, who they believe used the Greens as a scapegoat.

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Ahead of Mr Yousaf tearing up the co-operation deal and sacking Mr Harvie and fellow co-leader Lorna Slater from their government jobs, activists had called for a vote on whether to continue with the Bute House Agreement. Mr Harvie has always insisted that party members would have ultimately voted to continue being part of the government. But the row heaped pressure on Mr Harvie and Ms Slater.

One of the candidates hoping to become a co-leader of the Greens in the coming weeks, Ross Greer, has said he would be "absolutely willing" to work with the SNP again, but not while Kate Forbes was involved in government.

Ms Slater has said she will run again for her co-leader role, while Gillian MacKay has also put herself forward. Under party rules, at least one co-leader must be a woman. Nominations close on Friday.