Humza Yousaf has suggested he would continue with the Bute House Agreement with the Scottish Greens even if the SNP lost more than 15 seats at the General Election.
The First Minister was asked by The Herald about the future governing relationship in Holyrood with smaller pro-independence in the event of his party losing more than 15 seats.
Earlier this week, Geoff Aberdein, a one time key aide to former First Minister Alex Salmond, said losing more than 15 seats at the Westminster election could spell the end of the SNP's deal with the Greens.
Speaking to journalists at the SNP's general election campaign launch in Glasgow this afternoon, Mr Yousaf replied: "Looking ahead the Greens are our partners in government. They allow us to have a pro independence majority in the Scottish Parliament, a pro-independence majority for a pro independence party is a pretty good set of circumstances."
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Speaking on the Holyrood Sources Podcast earlier this week Mr Aberdein noted that losing 10 to 15 seats may be regarded as the SNP doing better than expected as he discussed the future of the party's deal with the Greens and what sort of general election outcome could bring about the agreement's demise.
"I think that the coalition is pretty solid until the general election," Mr Aberdein told the Holyrood Sources podcast earlier this week.
"Then [it depends] on the results. So if the SNP perform better than expected, losing somewhere like 10 to 15 seats. I think [the First Minister] could say 'well you know, we have out performed expectations, we are sorry to see 15 MPs go, but we will regroup for 2026.'
"Anything more than 15 seats... I think this Green relationship will have to be looked at. I think that there's enough murmurings of discontent around both the parliamentary party but also the membership that are saying, 'Hey, listen, this isn't working'. So that's what I think the future of the Green relationship is based on, the result of the election."
There is discontent among some senior figures in the SNP with the arrangement with the Greens.
Vocal critics include long serving MSP Fergus Ewing and former leadership contender Kate Forbes who have argued it has been damaging to their party and have called for the arrangement to be brought to a close.
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