Patrick Harvie to take time away from Holyrood due to medical procedure

The party said Mr Harvie was expected to take at least six weeks to recover from the planned operation, and may work remotely for a period before returning to the Scottish Parliament.

A spokesman for the Scottish Greens said: “Everyone at the Scottish Greens wishes Patrick well and hopes that he has a fast and full recovery.

“Patrick’s regional office will continue to work on behalf of his constituents and portfolios will be shared among his MSP colleagues. We look forward to welcoming him back to Parliament in the months ahead.”

The announcement means Mr Harvie will likely miss the parliamentary debates on the Scottish Budget, which MSPs will vote on next month. However, the Greens said a proxy vote arrangement will be put in place.

The spending plans are set to be voted through anyway after Scottish Labour confirmed it would abstain rather than voting against them.

Mr Harvie has served as the co-leader of the Scottish Greens since 2008 and has been an MSP for the Glasgow region since 2003.

In 2021, the 51-year-old became one of the first Green politicians in the UK to serve as a government minister under the Bute House Agreement with the SNP.

However, this came to an abrupt end last year when former first minister Humza Yousaf ripped up the power-sharing deal, inadvertently bringing about his own political downfall.