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Members of the Scottish Green Party have voted overwhelmingly to support the Scotland Demands Better campaign. The campaign is coordinated by the Scottish Trades Union Congress and has a series of demands to address the cost of living crisis. Scottish Green Party members made the decision at their autumn conference taking place in Dundee this weekend.

The Scotland Demands Better campaign demands include calls for policies around poverty alleviation, including a “real pay rise” for workers in public services, the establishment of municipal energy companies, universal free school meals and cheaper public transport in public control.

In advance of the conference, co-chair of the Scottish Green Party’s executive committee Ellie Gomersall wrote in Bright Green, “As a party of government, Greens are uniquely placed to heed the calls of grassroots activists and enact real change that will make a huge difference to workers across the country. It is for this reason that I, along with Trade Union Group co-convenor Jen Bell, have submitted an emergency motion to conference this weekend calling on the party to unequivocally support the People’s Plan for Action and to commit our elected representatives to acting in accordance with the spirit of the campaign.”

Following the passing of the motion, co-convener of the Scottish Green Party Trade Union Group, Jen Bell, said: “The importance of today’s vote by Green members cannot be understated. As a party of government we must take responsibility for improving the lives of ordinary, working people. Our MSPs and councillors will now have to act in line with the People’s Plan for Action, which would bring about lasting change for Scotland. This is a resounding victory for every worker in Scotland. On improving the rights of our class, the Scottish Greens and the STUC are united, and today’s vote cements that. Together, we are the just transition.”

The decision to backing the campaign is part of a wider trend of the UK’s Green Parties endorsing grassroots resistance to the cost of living crisis. Earlier this month, the Green Party of England and Wales voted to support the trade union backed Enough is Enough campaign.

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Image credit: Ric Lander – Creative Commons