The Scottish Green Party has today launched its Scottish Parliament campaign by putting fees and cuts centre stage. The campaign launched with 3 main pledges:

No fees ever – keep tuition free
Education benefits us all, not just students, and must be based on the ability to learn, not to pay.
For more information, see: www.scot.gr/nofees

Fairer taxes – invest in public services
Only Greens are offering an alternative to the cuts to public services: investment built on revenue from big business and the better off.
For more information, see: www.scot.gr/fair

Cut your bills – insulate every home
We would insulate every home for free, boost jobs and tackle climate change.
For more information, see: www.scot.gr/warm

Eleanor Scott, the Party’s Co-convenor, said:

“Across Scotland, second votes will elect Green MSPs to Holyrood. Whoever you want as First Minister, the question is this: who should hold the balance of power? There are only two choices – either one of the Westminster coalition parties, or the Greens.

“In the last session every vote counted, and the Green MSPs helped abolish tuition fees, secured millions for community environmental projects, and won investment in marine renewables. If we are in that position again, our first priority will be to invest in public services, and to back this with fairer taxes on big business and the wealthiest. Unlike the other parties, each of which in turn has broken promises to students, we know where the money’s coming from to guarantee Scotland won’t return to tuition fees. We will also work to bring in a comprehensive free national insulation scheme at a cost of £100million a year, to cut bills, boost jobs and tackle climate change.”

Co-convenor Patrick Harvie added:

“This is a crucial election for Scotland, and it will answer some very important questions about this country’s future. Previous votes have taken place in easier times, when it could be said with a straight face that boom and bust was over, and where all the other parties endorsed an economy reliant on speculation and casino banking.

“Last time Scotland voted budgets were still rising, and the prospect of a Tory Government with an ideological cuts agenda was still far away. The debates were all about how that extra money should best be spent. It seems a long time ago.

“Now the question is this: do we need a Scottish Government prepared to stand up to that cuts agenda and ask big business and the richest to pay more, or should Holyrood simply be passing the cuts on? The other parties have no alternative to the cuts, and they want to wait either for the Calman powers or for independence. It’s a collective failure of will, of principle, and of the imagination. If we want to protect Scotland’s environment, public services and economy, we must act now, and only a second vote for the Greens will elect MSPs who are ready to do so from day one.”