Holyrood 2016: Scottish Green Party manifesto at-a-glance
- Published
The Scottish Green Party has published its manifesto, external ahead of the Holyrood election on 5 May. Here are some of the key points.
Key messages
The Scottish Greens believe Scotland can be fairer, greener and healthier and that the Scottish Parliament can be "so much bolder" in meeting the ambitions of the people of Scotland.
The party says its candidates have a solid track record of making a difference inside and outside Holyrood.
Its manifesto says: "We bring fresh, new, bold ideas to parliament. We will work constructively with others who share our aims. Holyrood - and Scotland - needs diverse politics and progressive champions to hold the biggest parties to account.
Taxation and public services
Scottish Greens believe that the tax system should be used to fund public services and tackle inequality.
They say they would use taxes to more effectively tackle inequalities in wealth and income and pay for public services
The party wants;
to replace the "discredited" council tax with a "progressive" property tax
to use new devolved powers to cut income tax for lower earners
and to ensure higher earners pay a fairer share
Education
Green MSPs will fight for an end to Scottish government-led austerity to pay for more teachers, close the attainment gap and create more opportunities for everyone who wants to gain a place at college or university.
The Scottish Greens believe that people should have equal access to quality and inspiring education throughout their lifetimes. It wants schools, colleges and universities to be places that "foster curiosity, creativity and growth, and where educators are supported to put learning before grades".
The party wants;
4,000 full-time equivalent teachers
Help for all pupils experiencing poverty
Fair funding for college and university students
Health
Green MSPs will take every opportunity to strengthen the foundations for good health especially tackling income inequality and discrimination and prejudice. It believes Scotland can fight poverty, build communities and support everyone in need throughout life.
It says the best way to tackle health inequalities is to do something about poverty, such as better wages, fair taxes and increasing social security.
The party wants;
to make society's good health, equality and well being the foundation of all Scottish government policy
to tackle child poverty, support healthy pregnancies, build children's confidence, and foster healthy lifestyle habits from a young age
to push for a levy on retailers and caterers who choose to promote too much poor-quality food
Justice
The Scottish Green Party stands for zero tolerance against "all forms of discrimination". Tackling inequality in society, in terms of income and wealth, race, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation and religion, "benefits all of us".
Green MSPs will focus on addressing the root causes of crime, tackling barriers to services, employment and participation in society, and defending access to justice for all as a fundamental human right.
The party wants;
full equality before the law for LGBTI+ communities and a "strategy for inclusion" co-produced with disabled people, plus Gender Equality Bill
to improve equality impact assessment and budget analysis, which takes stock of how decision-making impacts differently on groups protected under equality law
work towards local policing that is accountable to independent, democratically controlled police authorities and investment in community policing to focus efforts on crime prevention
Environment
The Scottish Greens will press the Government to deliver policies that enable Scotland to care for and enrich its natural assets.
Green MSPs will demand Holyrood takes bold and innovative measures to reduce and adapt to climate change.
They will propose policies to revitalise food systems, protect environmental resources, and support society to respond to the challenges of climate change.
The party wants;
to establish a framework for action on food security, sustainable agriculture and healthy living at a national and local level
to support the development of more community greenspaces throughout the country, reducing environmental inequalities, improving people's health and giving communities greater control over the management of valued open spaces
to support the transition to "climate-ready" neighbourhoods that reduce emissions, limit flood risks, and increase resilience to extreme conditions through an expansion to the Climate Challenge Fund
Energy
Scottish Greens say there is a need to generate 50% of Scotland's energy use from renewables by 2030.
The party believes that by harnessing the existing transferrable skills of those currently employed in fossil fuel industries, it can generate a sustainable energy revolution.
The party wants;
a permanent ban on fracking and unconventional fossil fuel extraction
to promote the wider uptake of combined heat and power (CHP) systems and call for all new buildings to meet high efficiency standards
to support the establishment of socially-owned renewable energy companies
Constitution
The Scottish Greens want to create a "radical and inclusive democracy" that puts citizens at the heart of the democratic process, both at local and national level.
In a second referendum the Scottish Greens will campaign for independence. It added: "Until then we can build a bolder democracy, and open up our institutions for greater citizen participation while pushing for stronger powers for Holyrood."
The party wants;
a written constitution, produced by the Scottish people in a citizen-led process
devolution of more powers to local councils and requiring them to include local communities in decision making
the creation of a more accessible "People's Parliament" that has more of the powers it needs to serve the Scottish public
Culture and sport
The Scottish Greens want more people to take advantage of Scotland's rich culture heritage MSPs will work to remove the barriers - financial, physical, cultural and psychological - to accessing culture and sport.
The party wants;
a change in the planning framework to protect and encourage districts which enjoy strong cultural economies
the introduction of a monthly compensation payment for professional artists comparable to unemployment compensation
funding channelled into community sports to ensure they are inclusive and meet the needs of everyone
LGBTI+
The Scottish Greens believe Scotland can be a safe place for LGBTI+ people to grow, live and thrive by
The party wants;
an end to discrimination and the tackling hate crime against LGBTI+ people
to challenge health and social care inequalities and removing barriers to healthcare for LGBTI+ people
to ensure education in schools is LGBTI+ inclusive and without fear of prejudice or bullying
to ensure the gender and sexual orientation of all people is recognised and protected in law
What do the other party manifestos say?
- Published12 April 2016
