Greens rule out electoral pacts
The Scottish Greens have ruled out any electoral pacts with the SNP.
A motion on the issue was passed overwhelmingly by delegates at their Autumn conference in Inverness.
While the SNP sell out to oil companies, a Scottish Green New Deal would transform the Highlands, the party said.
Closing the party’s conference, lead candidate for the Highlands and Islands Ariane Burgess told members the Greens can achieve their best ever result in the 2021 Holyrood election.
Ariane Burgess raised the fact SNP conference is sponsored by Heathrow and BP.
She said: “Only the Greens have what it takes to deliver the transformative change that is needed in the face of the climate emergency.
“And if you want any proof, just look at SNP conference that is opening today. Brought to you by Heathrow Airport and BP, one of the biggest polluters in the world ever. Yet more proof that the SNP’s rhetoric and eye-catching but distant targets are window-dressing, serving only to stave off criticism. For all their talk of change, they are the party of the status quo.
“And while the SNP sell out to oil companies, we have worked together to develop a bold and visionary prospectus to offer the people of Scotland. The Scottish Green New Deal is our plan to address the climate emergency. Our plan to give everyone in Scotland a warm, affordable and zero-carbon home.
“To put public transport in the public hands, and to help people get walking and cycling by refocusing our towns and cities on people rather than cars. To rebuild the public sector by creating publicly owned banks and energy companies. To deliver a green industrial revolution.”
She added: "I know and understand the commitment that rural communities have to their areas, and I want to work with them to help them prosper again and to tackle the climate emergency. Here’s just one example. Doubling the area of forests will create thousands and thousands of jobs throughout the Highlands, and by restoring our landscape and protecting our wildlife it can help reconnect us all to the land and support the growth of sustainable tourism.”