Manifesto for a better Scotland

MHOC Green Party March 2015

Foreword

The Scottish Greens believe in a strong, independent

Scotland free from the suppression of Westminster

governments, with a greener, more sustainable economy

based on individual freedom and collective responsibility

for all. We will work with the rest of the party in the UK to

achieve our progressive goals and ensure that any

government containing Green MPs will continue with our

program for building a stronger, more autonomous

Scotland. We will never forget that we run a council, nor

will we ever punish people for voting a certain way.

Creating an independent, fairer, more equal

Scotland is and will always remain our

number one priority.

/u/peter199 MP for Scotland

A fairer Scotland

Having faced the brunt of Westminster-led austerity, we believe

that Scotland’s economy needs a radical shift to create a more

equal society that puts its workers first. We need to ensure that

everyone has access to secure and rewarding work and

sustainable expansion in local industry is encouraged. We will fight

to ensure that grants to the Scottish Government are not cut and

through our main economic policies we will increase Barnett

Consequentials to Scotland allowing for more investment in our

public services. Long term we hope to give Scotland full fiscal

autonomy with all revenues raised in country kept for the benefit

of the country and therefore freeing Scotland from any budgetary

suppression from Westminster. Local council PFI debts will be

nationalised removing the financial burden on our local councils

allowing money to be used for more public services as opposed to

paying off debts for community schemes.

Pay inequality, tax avoidance and poor

treatment of employees are still too common

in Scotland’s workplaces. The Scottish Greens

will roll back the anti-trade union laws of

previous governments, put an end to

exploitative zero-hour contracts and push for

rights for workers to cooperatively own and

manage their companies. We will raise the

minimum wage to the Living Wage so hard

working people are not kept in poverty, and

through a basic income system build a

welfare system avoids the unemployment and

poverty traps, recognises unpaid work and

removes the stigma of benefits.

A greener Scotland

A healthy society and economy depends on a healthy and productive

environment, and no more so than in Scotland. Capitalist forces have

created a wasteful society reliant on ever increasing consumption, depleting

Scotland’s natural resources and threatening the country’s long-term potential.

The Scottish Greens want local communities to feel a greater benefit from the

wealth and opportunity of Scotland’s vast natural resources, whilst recognising

that sensitive stewardship of the natural environment is needed to leave future

generations a legacy of clean air, pure water, fertile farmland, abundant forests,

vibrant urban green spaces and plentiful wildlife.

Scotland has a wealth of renewable energy opportunities within its borders. We

will invest in utilising this natural asset to ensure Scotland is the renewable

energy hub of Europe with 100% of power coming from renewable sources by

2020, as part of a nationalised energy sector centred around local communities.

We will ensure that sustainable farmers and fisheries get a fair deal, putting

plans in place to boost the fishing industry while conserving fish stocks, and

reconnecting rural communities with the land through extensive land reform

and bringing publicly owned land back into productive use.

A smarter Scotland

Scotland is still overly reliant on exam success as the

only measure of a child’s potential, with an education

system that prioritises memorising facts over

developing the likes of problem solving, team

working and interpersonal social skills that will help

students become well-rounded citizens, prepared for

adult life. The Scottish Greens want to see a society

which respects children and aims to give them the

freedom to express themselves.

We will protect the right of every Scottish student to

free higher education in the UK. We will protect all

state funded schools from privatisation, as well as

bringing public schools into local authority control. To

ensure that students get the rounded education they

need to prepare them for later life we will introduce

compulsory political education for all students from

S2 up into S6, and extend the provisions for sex and

relationships education.

A healthier Scotland

The Scottish Greens will ensure that Scotland’s NHS is kept strong

and free from marketisation maintaining the current system of

health boards and increasing budgets across the country to pay for

better services and facilities for Scottish patients. Free, universal

access to healthcare is a right that must be protected at all costs.

Through increases in health spending in the UK funding for our

Scottish NHS will increase allowing us to invest in more doctors and

nurses as well as better facilities for our patients.

We will also integrate Social Care with the general health service

better too allowing easier discharge for patients into the

community. Funding for residential care will be increased for low

income families to ensure that people can access the care they need

both in the community as well as in hospitals. We will also protect

and strengthen community mental health services ensuring those

who are most vulnerable in society can access the care they need.

A connected Scotland

The Scottish Greens will continue to run a nationalised and

efficient rail service for Scotland as brought in through Green

backed legislation. We ensure that all key routes in the country are

electrified by 2020 as well constructing new lines such as the

Glasgow Airport Link. We will protect the direct InterCity services

to London from the highlands that provide a vital link for many

businesses and communities in the highlands. More funding will be

provided to local councils to fix and improve local roads with

financial incentives provided to goods transporters to use rail

where possible for transporting goods, freeing up more road space

on key trunk routes.

In towns and cities connectivity will be improved by funding better

local bus services, and through public ownership we can ensure

that rural communities are not cut off from bus networks. We will

provide better facilities for walking and cycling as a healthier, safer

and cleaner alternative to private car use.