Nicola Sturgeon would not have signed-off on deeply disappointing PFG
Today’s Programme for Government has been a massive backward step from the SNP. It fails to tackle the climate crisis, delays the urgently needed cap on bus fares and shelves plans to ban so-called ‘conversion therapy’ against LGBTQ+ people.
Scottish Greens co-leader Ross Greer said:
“This is a deeply disappointing programme, and not one that Nicola Sturgeon would have signed off on.
“It is full of recycled announcements and a huge backward step in key areas when we needed bold change.
“The current £2 bus fare cap across the Highlands and Islands was secured by the Scottish Greens. Much like our free bus passes for young people, it has been a huge success. We pushed for its expansion across the rest of the country as soon as possible and we are glad bus users across the West of Scotland will start saving money from next week.
“Delaying the roll out to the rest of the country by up to five years is completely unacceptable though. Bus passengers in every corner of Scotland should enjoy the savings from a £2 fare cap by the end of this year, not wait until 2031.
“Ministers have shelved plans to ban the abuse of LGBTQ people known as ‘conversion therapy.’ Their reason for doing so verges on dishonesty.
“They claim they will engage with the UK Government on a four nations approach, but Westminster has already published a bill which only applies in England and Wales. It is the Scottish Government’s job to protect LGBTQ people here, but they are refusing to do so.
“Unbelievably, the Government is throwing open the doors to tech billionaires by encouraging more applications to build hyperscale data centres in Scotland. That is despite the first 24 of these applications requiring one and a half times our entire country’s peak energy demands if they are approved. That is clearly absurd. It would be a disaster for our climate, our energy grid and for local communities.
“Councils and communities needed the First Minister to announce an immediate halt to hyperscale data centres applications today. The Scottish Greens will continue pushing for that pause until a serious strategy can be developed and this wave of speculative applications brought under control.
“Reading this document, it is hard to know what the SNP stands for. The Scottish Greens are always willing to cooperate to deliver a fairer and more progressive Scotland. Little in this programme could be described as progressive though.
“Scotland needs a government prepared to match the scale of the challenges we face, on the climate, on the cost of living, on public services and on human rights. Instead, we have been handed a Programme for Government full of delays, excuses and broken promises.
“This is a remarkable retreat from the progressive agenda of Nicola Sturgeon. At May’s Holyrood election, record numbers of people voted Green. They wanted MSPs willing to take on the super-rich and tackle the climate crisis. That is exactly what we will fight for. If the SNP want to work with us on this agenda, they will need to do far better than the lacklustre programme published today.
“At a time when the SNP are backtracking and Scottish Labour are all over the place, it is clear that the Scottish Greens are the only party prepared to stand up for people and planet.”