MANIFESTO LAUNCHED

Posted on April 19, 2005

The Scottish Green Party has formally kicked off our campaign for Westminster 2005 by publishing our manifesto.

The Green priority pledges are:

Make trade fair, cancel debt, increase aid

Promote peace not war, end the arms trade

Say no to nuclear, develop renewable energy

Abolish VAT, tax climate-busting pollution

Introduce a universal Citizen’s Income

Scrap ID-cards, protect civil liberties

Control supermarkets, build local economies

NEWS RELEASE - Environmental justice betrayed again

Posted on April 15, 2005

LEAKED MEMO EXPOSES EXECUTIVE BETRAYAL OF COMMUNITIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT

A leaked memo has exposed LibDem and Labour Ministers decision to reject its own commitment to a limited Third Party Right of Appeal in the planning system. The memo was described by Friends of the Earth as a ‘betrayal’ and Green MSPs said today that given the Executive’s record in putting the interests of big business before communities, the news reflected the lip service paid to communities and the environment by Libdem and Labour politicians . (1)

Commenting, Patrick Harvie MSP, Green Speaker on Justice and Communities said: “The Scottish Executive has already betrayed environmental justice so many times. From Greengairs to the M74, from the expansion of aviation to the ever growing traffic levels, from the failure to set CO2 targets to the pathetic equivocation on GM crops, the Executive’s record has gone from bad to worse. Now, they look set to betray the clear majority of people who bothered to express their views on proposals for a fair planning system.

“After so many betrayals of environmental justice, the notion of the Executive’s “green thread” is now exposed. Just as we predicted when they launched their Partnership Agreement, it’s a purely cosmetic exercise designed to give the illusion of a government that gives a damn about the environment.

“Green MSPs have been consistent champions of these vitals issues, while the coalition parties give barely a nod in their direction. It would appear that Labour and the Liberal Democrats are determined to hand us another row of seats in the next Scottish Parliament election.”

Greens support a limited right of appeal in specific circumstances where for example planning decisions are contrary to the Local Plan, or where a major development requires an environmental impact assessment. (2)

Notes to Editors

(1) The memo was publicised by Friends of the Earth today, which said: “…it would be unwise to pursue a third party right of appeal” and that they “will need to demonstrate convincingly that [their]reforms will adequately address the concerns of those people for whom third party right of appeal has become a symbol of their dissatisfaction with the
planning system.”

(2) Greens support the introduction of a limited Third Party Right of Appeal for planning applications:

1. where the planning decisions is a departure from the development plan;
2. where the local authority has an interest in the planning application;
3. where the application is a ‘major development’, defined as those which fall under either Schedule 1 or 2 of the Environmental Impact Assessment regulations;
4. where the planning officer has recommended refusal of planning permission to the council.

ELECTION: TOP 5 REASONS NOT TO VOTE LIB DEM

Posted on April 14, 2005

SCOTTISH GREEN PARTY MEDIA RELEASE

For immediate release Thursday 14 April, 2005

ELECTION: TOP 5 REASONS NOT TO VOTE LIB DEM

On the day the Lib Dems launched their manifesto, the Scottish Greens highlighted the record of the Lib Dems in coalition government since 1999. Greens say that rather than a ‘real alternative’, based on their Scottish record a vote for the Lib Dems is a wasted vote.

Urging voters not to back the Lib Dems for Westminster given their record in Scotland, Patrick Harvie MSP said:

“On the environment, on social justice, the economy and civil liberties the Lib Dems have shown complete disregard for the principles people who voted Lib Dem thought they were going to get. Their 2003 manifesto is a catalogue of broken promises, and so it’s hardly surprising that the exodus from them to the Greens has begun in earnest.

“Over and over again Lib Dems have lost the arguments, and they’re left hiding behind misinformation. This manifesto is a vain attempt to conceal the fact that they have done little, especially to protect the environment, and we’re confident they won’t get away with it this time.”

As Friends of the Earth Scotland noted, following the Lib Dem decision to push ahead with the M74 Extension:

“There are now serious doubts about whether the Liberal Democrats can be trusted on environment issues ever again.”

The Lib Dems:

1. Campaigned against GM crops, then a Lib Dem Minister approved their planting in Scotland.

2. Opposed road-building schemes, then a Lib Dem Minister gave the go-ahead for the M74 Extension.

3. Claimed to oppose ID cards, then abstained on a vote on them.

4. Claimed to have abolished tuition fees by simply delaying the point of fee payment.

5. Backed the introduction of congestion charging, then opposed the first such scheme in Edinburgh.

Last weekend one of the founding members of the Lib Dems and a Lib Dem candidate at the last Westminster election announced his defection to the Greens. Stuart Callison will contest the East Dunbartonshire constituency.

Patrick Harvie, Green MSP for Glasgow, added:

”The Lib Dems in Government have been the biggest disappointment of devolution, talking a good game but prepared to make any compromise to keep their Ministerial Mondeos. Any green thread their policies may have had in opposition will be buried under the tarmac of the M74
Extension.

“Their economic policies have the same basis as those of New Labour and the Tories: business interests before people, no matter what the spin. The reasons not to vote for them can be summed up very easily: no more Lib Dem deceit and broken promises.”

ENDS

For further information call 07909 933 074.

Notes to editors

1. In August 1999 Charles Kennedy backed the campaign to end open-air test releases of GM crops into the environment. Friends of the Earth said at the time: “We are delighted that Charles Kennedy and the Liberal Democrats have decided to oppose the current farm-scale trials because measures to protect the environment and neighbouring farmers are not strict enough.” Subsequently Ross Finnie, Lib Dem Rural Development Minister, pressed ahead with farm-scale trials, one in Charles Kennedy’s own constituency, even after being defeated in April 2002 at his own party conference on this issue.

2. “Future roads should only proceed when necessary for safety reasons, to connect isolated communities or for environmental reasons when it is better to re-route traffic in the interests of cutting pollution.” Lib Dem manifesto, 2003, two years before Nicol Stephen, Lib Dem Transport Minister, ignored those principles and backed the M74 extension.

3. “I want to make the Liberal Democrat position crystal clear: we are fundamentally opposed to ID cards.” Mark Oaten MP, Lib Dem Shadow Home Secretary, 11 November 2003 in the House of Commons, less than 18 months before Lib Dem MSPs abstained on just this issue at Holyrood.

4. “The exit fee will be paid by approximately the same proportion of people, because it will be paid on the same means-tested basis.” David Rendel MP, Lib Dem spokesman on Further and Higher Education, Hansard, March 19 2002, explaining that Lib Dems in Scotland had merely delayed fees, not abolished them.

5. “We will maintain the right of local authorities to use congestion charging as an option to pay for improved public transport.” Lib Dem manifesto, 2003, two years before Lib Dems led the campaign against the first such scheme, which would have revolutionised public transport in Edinburgh.

Go to www.scottishgreens.org.uk for more information about the Scottish Green Party and the work of the Scottish Green MSPs.