Westminster has failed Scotland - it's time for change
The Scottish Greens can and must be the ones who mobilise public anger, says the party’s Co-leader Gillian Mackay.
Addressing a capacity crowd of members at her party’s Autumn conference in Edinburgh, Gillian denounced the lies of big polluters and con men like Nigel Farage and promised to stand with communities under attack.
Speaking to her party conference, Gillian said:
“There are millions of people across Scotland who aren’t only scunnered - they’re angry.
“They’re angry at a system that has exploited them and their loved ones. They’re angry that they are working harder, but prices are rising faster than their wages.
“They’re angry that it’s becoming even harder to get by while the rich are getting richer. They’re angry at the governments who have promised so much and failed to deliver.
“They’re angry to see so much misery in a country that is so wealthy. They’re angry at an economy that is rigged against them.
“And I’m angry too.
“We have to be the party that mobilises that anger.
“We have to be the party that stands with those workers, with the trade union movement and with the people and communities on the frontline of Westminster’s cruelty.
“We have to be the party that calls out the lies of big polluters. Drilling for new oil and gas fields like Rosebank will do nothing to lower energy bills or protect our planet. It is pure climate vandalism, and we have to stop Rosebank.
“We have to be the ones who are calling for climate action grounded in the skillstthat we have here in Scotland. We have to be the ones who prove that a fairer, greener, independent Scotland isn’t just possible, it’s essential.
“Westminster has failed Scotland. Our communities have been let down too many times.
“Imagine how much more we could do if we weren’t stuck fixing other peoples’ mistakes.
“Every day in our parliament we are coming up against the huge limitations of Westminster rule.
“Imagine what we could do with independence.
“With the powers of a normal country we could do so much more to take on the polluters and put people first. We could build the type of society that works for ordinary people, and leads the change.
“We can’t let con artists and frauds like Nigel Farage and Reform turn people against each other and divide our communities. We can’t leave debate in the hands of tech billionaires like Elon Musk and the hateful projects they fund.
“Because we all know who they want us to blame. It is disabled people. It is LGBTQ people. But above all, it is refugees and migrant communities.
“And that’s what they are doing where I live in Falkirk. We’ve had far right agitators whipping up fear and surrounding hotels with banners and flags, trying to terrify and intimidate the people inside.
“These scenes don’t reflect the Falkirk I know. They don’t reflect the wonderful community that I represent or the town that I’m proud to call home.
“The people in these hotels have fled war and harm, often caused by decisions made by politicians here in the UK.
“Earlier this year I met some of the refugees who have fled from Gaza. They had seen their entire families killed and their homes destroyed in a grotesque genocide that the UK government has armed, supported and enabled. I can’t begin to imagine the horror they have faced only to have the UK government tell them that they are not welcome.
“These protests have been egged on and encouraged every step of the way by politicians and commentators, shamelessly wrapping themselves in flags and trying to sow division. The Scottish Greens are proud to say that all migrants and refugees are welcome here today, tomorrow and always.”