THE Scottish Government and the Royal British Legion should sever all ties with the arms trade to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War, Patrick Harvie has said.

The Scottish Greens co-convener insisted SNP ministers have a “disturbingly cosy relationship with arms dealers", and said he was uncomfortable with the past involvement of weapons manufacturers in the poppy appeal.

Mr Harvie said he chose to wear a white poppy, describing it as partly a commitment to peace and a refusal to glamorise war, and partly an act of remembrance “for all the victims of war, rather than only the military from our own country and its allies”.

He said: “On this 100th anniversary of armistice, it would be fitting for the Scottish Government and the Legion to mark it by distancing themselves from the weapons manufacturers whose profits depend on the continuation of war and the creation of ever more victims both here and around the world.”

It comes after figures unearthed by the Greens earlier this year revealed the Scottish Government spent £1.2m on supporting companies actively involved in the arms trade in 2016-17 alone.

Raytheon, which has a factory in Glenrothes and is involved in making missiles linked to civilian deaths in Yemen, has been given £185,625 of public cash since 2014.

SNP ministers argue the money is to help companies “diversify” away from the arms trade, and stress they do not provide funding for the manufacture of munitions.

But the Greens accused them of “rank hypocrisy” after the SNP condemned UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

The party said the Scottish Government was “only too happy to throw cash at” firms which help construct deadly weapons used by the desert kingdom.

Meanwhile, activists have repeatedly criticised the Royal British Legion for accepting sponsorship from arms firms such as Lockheed Martin.

Writing in The Herald about his decision to wear a white poppy, which first emerged as an alternative in 1933, Mr Harvie said the “involvement of the arms trade with the Royal British Legion’s poppy appeal leaves me feeling uncomfortable”.

He said donning a white poppy was still seen as a controversial act, but argued Remembrance Day should “bring together people whose values differ”.

He added: “Now, it seems a minority of people want this moment to become one of enforced jingoistic patriotism, or even a celebration of militarism, rather than solemn remembrance.”

Mr Harvie said: “If we want our act of remembrance to be meaningful then let us make it inclusive, and let’s try not only to embody a spirit of ‘Never forget’ but also to find the courage to say ‘Never again’.”

This November marks 100 years since the armistice signed between the Allied powers and Germany, which brought an end to fighting on the Western Front.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Princess Anne will be among more than 1,000 people attending a special service at Glasgow Cathedral to mark the milestone.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman insisted any suggestion it helps to fund the manufacture of munitions is “mistaken”.

She said: “We agree on the importance of marking Remembrance Day in an appropriate and respectful way, as a reminder of the appalling human suffering of past conflicts – something that is even more poignant and significant as we mark the centenary of the end of the First World War – and we will be participating in the service to mark the 100th anniversary of the First Armistice at Glasgow Cathedral.

“As we have made consistently clear, the Scottish Government does not provide funding for the manufacture of munitions, and any suggestion to the contrary is mistaken.”

The Royal British Legion declined to comment.