A Nationalist veteran has called for any SNP Government deal with the Greens to be put to the party membership.
Alex Neil said he did not trust the Greens on independence and called for members to have the final say on a pact.
“Be very, very wary,” he said.
After the SNP fell one seat short of an overall majority at the last election, Nicola Sturgeon announced she would be willing to talk to the Greens about a cooperation agreement in Government.
The parties agree on independence and a range of social issues, but disagree on income tax and North Sea oil.
The Greens believe in phasing out North sea oil and gas production and have urged the UK Government to stop issuing new licenses for exploration and development.
Senior figures in Sturgeon’s party are nervous about the Green position and fear it could lead to a jobs wasteland. An outcome from the joint talks is expected this month.
Neil, a former SNP Health Secretary who retired as an MSP recently, said some Greens policies are “acceptable”, but described others as “crazy”.
He said an “abrupt halt” to oil production would create “mass unemployment”.
He also said trying to end production within 5 years would be “economic suicide” and warned:
“The small business community will be very wary of some of the Greens’ more extreme proposals.”
He said of any agreement struck: "It has to go to a vote of the membership of the SNP.
“We are supposed to be a democratic party and, despite what some people think, it is not the leadership who make policy, it is supposed to be the membership.”
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Asked if he trusted the Greens on independence, he said: “No I don’t.”
He elaborated by pointing to an opinion poll which appeared to show support for independence among Green voters was mixed.
A spokesperson for the Scottish Greens hit back: "The urgent challenges facing Scotland of a public health crisis and the climate emergency require a new, collaborative style of politics, not the tribal cynicism of yesterday's men."
Tory MSP Murdo Fraser tweeted: "Not only does @AlexNeilSNP talk a lot of sense here, but I know he speaks for many current SNP backbenchers who have similar concerns."
An SNP spokesperson said: "Discussions between the parties are continuing."
