--- election_year: 2005 party_id: scottish-greens party_name: Scottish Green Party party_leader: Robin Harper political_spectrum: left-green victory: false government_outcome: opposition sections: - economy - taxation - health - education - housing - immigration - defence - foreign-policy - environment - transport - law-and-order - welfare - democracy-and-constitution - agriculture - energy - devolution - science-and-technology - local-government --- # Scottish Green Party Manifesto 2005 #### Shiona Baird MSP ##### Co-Convenor of the Scottish Green Party I am proud to introduce the Scottish Green Party manifesto for the Westminster election 2005: – a manifesto in the interests of people, not the profits of big business at any cost; – a manifesto for the planet, offering real action on climate change; – a manifesto for peace and global justice. People want fresh, honest politics, an optimistic vision of the future and the practical steps to bring it about. Only the Greens offer an alternative to the dinosaur politics of the other parties. We’re about real quality of life. We campaign for real progress and a fairer, just society; for a safe environment and for peace not war; for healthy, strong communities. We stand up for people and the public interest, not private profit above all else. We spell out progressive solutions to promote peace and co-operation in the world instead of a climate of fear and paranoia. We set out a programme to help reduce global conflict and tackle poverty. Action on climate change forms a centrepiece of this manifesto. Because of the unsustainable actions of those who have been in power for generations, our economy and communities face real climate threats and future energy crises. We are standing in every region of Scotland, in five times as many seats as we did in the last Westminster election. This gives more people the chance to vote with their hearts and minds – not with despair and lack of choice. We are the only party that will implement real and lasting solutions. It’s time to go Green. ## Foreword ##### Co-Convenor of the Scottish Green Party There are now 60 Green councillors elected in local authorities in the UK, seven MSPs in the Scottish Parliament, and 33 MEPs in the European Parliament. There are two Green members of the London Assembly. It is well nigh time for a Green MP. As a party, we’re growing fast. The Green challenge to “politics as usual” is resonating with voters all over the country. In last year’s European elections, we came a close second in some seats 17% of the vote. With such advances, a Green MP comes closer every year. When people elect Greens they like what they get. Our MEPs have led calls for tough new rules to ban some of the most toxic ingredients from everyday use in household products and have forced action on animal welfare standards and the treatment of asylum seekers. Our hardworking councillors stand out in communities for their commitment and tenacity, and for their work in preventing poor developments and in promoting community participation in decision-making. Our MSPs have won victories on identity cards and on energy efficiency. They have forced a climate change inquiry in the Scottish Parliament and pressured the Scottish Executive with amendments and Bills on areas as diverse as nature conservation, civil partnerships, GM crops and public transport. Unlike some other Scottish political parties, the Greens are not in the red financially, and that’s even without the big business funding of the other parties. We are determined to build on this sustainable growth over the coming years. A Green vote is most certainly not a wasted vote. A wasted vote is a vote for something you don’t trust and don’t believe in. Vote against waste. Vote Green. ## Contents Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1. People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Nothing Short of a Food Revolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Economics Where People Matter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Beating the Poverty Trap: Welfare Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Crime and Community: Prevention and Healing . . . . . . . . . 9 Changing the Face of Politics . . . . 9 2. Planet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Climate Change: Sleepwalking to Disaster . . . . . . . 11 Meltdown: Why Nuclear Power Is Not the Answer . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Corporate Accountability: Tackling Big Business . . . . . . . . . 13 3. Peace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Building a Safer World: Co-operation, not Conflict . . . . . 14 International Trade: Where Fair Beats Free . . . . . . . . . 15 A Safe Refuge: Asylum and Immigration . . . . . . . 16 Would You Buy a Used Planet From These People? . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Greens in Action Everywhere . . . . 18 The Greens want to create a safe future for people and communities – a fair economy that doesn’t trash the planet and serve only the few: a society where communities are strong, where everyone gets a fair deal, where older people are cared for, where young people look forward to a life of hope and opportunity – not fear and insecurity. The out-dated obsession with free-for-all economics is alive and well in most other parties, but it’s a concept which cares little for people’s lives. It is obvious big business needs better regulation to prevent abuses of people and the environment. Good food is an essential, basic need. Yet the global food industry is increasingly powerful and dangerous. The big supermarkets have a stranglehold over the high street, paying producers and farmers less for their goods, forcing out local businesses and ripping the heart out of communities. We propose more corporate accountability, but also measures to boost small, community businesses. ## People “Too much and for too long, we seem to have surrendered community excellence and community values in the mere accumulation of material things. Our gross national product ... counts air pollution and cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage. It counts special locks for our doors and the jails for those who break them. ... Yet the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education, or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages; the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our wit nor our courage; neither our wisdom nor our learning; neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country; it measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile.” – Robert F. Kennedy The Scottish Green Party is the only party to challenge the measurement of economic well-being as Gross Domestic Product. GDP growth tells us nothing. The real measure of our economy is how the people are: their wealth, their health, the well-being of their families, their community and their environment. Greens propose alternative measures to assess whether the economy is helping us or harming us, and to guide more informed decision-making. In this manifesto, we spell out our approach to an economy based on workers’ rights, corporate accountability and fair trade. We outline the measures required to deliver a tax and benefits system that is fair and equitable. We show how we would change the criminal justice system to focus on prevention and rehabilitation, building a healthy society, not causing more fear, more crime and more prisons. These measures are in the interests of people, not big business and profits at any cost. ### Nothing Short of a Food Revolution The Scottish Green Party is campaigning for nothing short of a revolution in our food culture. Greens want change in four key areas: #### Good Food Obesity and diet-related illness are major causes of disease in Scotland. The high sugar, salt, processed fat and additive content of food, often misleadingly labelled, is a major factor. Greens want food to make us healthy, not sick. We will make local authorities provide schools, hospitals and care homes with healthy, fresh, local food. We will ensure all processed food is fully labelled and ban additives of questionable value. We will control advertising of junk food and remove fast food vending machines from schools. #### Safe Food Hardly a week passes without another food safety scandal. The way we grow most of our food is harming our land, water and wildlife. Greens want food to be safe for both consumers and the environment. We are committed to organic food: Greens forced action on organic production in the last Scottish Parliament session and our aim is to have much more organic food grown in Scotland. Labour and the Liberal Democrats have opened the door to genetically modified (GM) crops in Scotland, despite the proven ecological and environmental damage they have caused in Canada and the U.S. We will close that door. > “A statutory code of practice that stops supermarkets bullying suppliers and abusing their power is needed urgently … With supermarket executives from the big four – and Tesco in particular – to whisper directly into the ears of Downing Street (two of its directors came straight from Whitehall), shoppers might want to send their own message, by voting with their feet and buying elsewhere.” > > – Felicity Lawrence, Consumer Affairs Correspondent, The Guardian **Local Food** As fruit and vegetable producers struggle to make a living in Scotland, cheap imported berries, beans, salads and tropical delicacies are flown thousands of miles by polluting planes to boost supermarket profits. Greens will actively encourage local, small-scale food producers and food sellers, including local shops, farmers’ markets and box schemes. The way we import food from all over the world is fuelling climate change. We will use our “polluter pays” taxation system to ensure that the distance food has travelled is reflected in its price. #### Fair Food Fresh and healthy food is out of reach for many of the poorest communities in Scotland. We see this as a priority for change. The immense power of supermarkets over our high streets, our farmers and over the entire food chain has become a major concern. The relentless drive for profit by the supermarkets means Scottish farmers and farmers in developing countries are receiving less and less for their produce. An industry survey in 2005 showed 88% of people want regulation to force supermarkets to act in the wider public interest. ##### Green MPs will work to: * ban the brands: take fast food advertising out of schools and off children’s television, to prevent manufacturers from targeting young, impressionable consumers; * make food labelling accurate and easy to understand, to prevent producers, processors and supermarkets from making misleading claims about their goods; * ban live animal exports; * seek all routes to make Scotland GM free, including a law to keep biotech companies at bay by holding them liable for any economic damage caused by GM crops; * make the Office of Fair Trading regulate supermarkets better, so that Scottish farmers receive a fair price for their milk and other produce; * establish an independent supermarket regulator, ensuring a fair deal for farmers and consumers; * reform the Common Agricultural Policy and Common Fisheries Policy to protect the environment on which the industries depend, providing support for farmers, fishermen and dependent communities through the transition; * ensure fair prices for farmers abroad too, through the UK’s leading position in global trade organisations and agreements. ### Economics Where People Matter Natural, finite resources cannot be treated as income, but as a priceless asset, to be used wisely and sustainably. We need to improve the quality of life for all but recognise the limits of the resources on which our economy is built. #### Growth, GDP and Quality of Life The reliance on gross domestic product GDP as a key measure of economic activity is flawed and unsustainable. The more we buy and the more we throw away, the “richer” we are supposed to be. As a measure of progress, this is absurd. In 2005, the Federation of Small Business produced a well-being index that showed Scotland at the bottom of the league of small, developed nations. So much for GDP. We need to measure and make progress on our overall well-being using more sophisticated tools such as the Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare (ISEW) and the New Economics Foundation’s Measure of Domestic Progress (MDP). ##### Green MPs will work to: * replace GDP with a genuine progress indicator based on quality of life, distribution of income and protection of environmental resources; * require government and industry to report on capital investment into our national infrastructure, non-renewable resource consumption and the environmental costs of development; * decrease funding to the road construction, nuclear energy and fossil fuel industries, and reduce arms and defence spending; * introduce a Sustainability Diversification Agency, to support the redeployment of workers’ skills and contributions in a socially just and sustainable economy. #### Taxation The Greens will implement a tax system to encourage environmental sustainability and the reduction of material inequality. This will deliver real economic security. Taxation can and should be used to discourage social and environmental harm and promote equity between individuals. ##### Green MPs will work to: * replace VAT with eco-taxes on pollution and waste; * scrap the Council Tax and Uniform Business Rate, introducing a Land Value Tax to encourage more efficient use of land and accelerate urban renewal; * increase taxation on corporate profits and reduce tax breaks for the rich. #### Local Not Global Greens want more economic self-reliance. We oppose the unfair globalisation of resources and markets dominated by transnational corporations and unaccountable financial institutions. We want to minimise transport of imported goods and reverse the control of capital falling into ever fewer hands. We will support small, local and community businesses, whose needs are too often ignored. We will promote the social enterprise sector, where companies are committed to generating economic, social and environmental profit. ##### Green MPs will work to: * set up democratically accountable community banks to encourage local people to invest in their own communities; * reform banking law to give banks greater community responsibility; * provide tax incentives for sustainable small businesses, co-operatives and worker-owned businesses; * support local finance initiatives, such as credit unions and local exchange trading schemes; * increase support to the voluntary sector, recognising its social and environmental benefits; * phase out Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and Private Finance Initiatives (PFIs). > The total level of unclaimed benefit (Income Support, Minimum Income Guarantee, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit & income-based Jobseekers Allowance) in 2002/03 was between £3,300m and £6,260m, whilst the level of non-takeup for non-pensioner income support and Job Seekers Allowance is between £860m and £2,140m. > > The Republic of Ireland is now seriously discussing the introduction of a Citizen's Income of £70 per week for adults, and £30 per week for children. > > A study from the University of Cambridge showed that an initial Citizen's Income scheme could be fiscally neutral. ### Beating the Poverty Trap: Welfare Solutions #### Citizen’s Income Our complex, bureaucratic and expensive benefits system is desperate for an overhaul and we are suggesting a radical new approach. We propose to introduce a Citizen’s Income to every woman, man and child in the UK, without means-testing and without the requirement to be in, or seeking, employment. It will be a universal right to cover basic needs. ##### A Citizen’s Income will: * provide a basic income for those not recognised by the current benefits system such as full-time parents, carers, students and volunteers; * allow people to take fulfilling part-time or voluntary work. It would also support those starting new businesses of their own; * ensure the poorest and most vulnerable in society are adequately provided for, boosting their income by 25% and ensuring they do not have to go through a complicated process to obtain basic financial security. * slash the millions currently spent on benefits administration, benefits fraud and fraud detection; * end the scandal of up to £6·3 billion of much-needed benefits going unclaimed every year. ##### Citizen’s Pension To solve the “pensions crisis”, both the SNP and the Liberal Democrats have adopted the idea of a Citizen’s Pension. Greens are delighted that they have moved some distance towards a Citizen’s Income scheme. We believe that a Citizen’s Pension should only be seen as a first step towards a full Citizen’s Income Scheme. Independent studies by the National Association of Pension Funds have shown that a Citizen’s Pension could be afforded today within current net expenditure on state pensions. ##### For pensioners, Citizen’s Income means: * an increase of between 27% and 33% in the basic state pension for everyone (it is set initially at the level of the Pension Credit Guarantee, around £109 a week for a single pensioner and £167 for a couple from April 2005); * unconditional payments for all old age pensioners, regardless of savings or NI payments paid in the past; * the abolition of the means-tested Pension Credit. ### Crime and Community: Prevention and Healing Restitution for the victim and the community and rehabilitation of the offender are key ingredients of the Green approach to the criminal justice system. While prison plays an important role in the criminal justice system it should not be used as a way of simply holding people with long-term social problems, drug addictions and mental health problems. The prison population has steadily increased since 1990 without any clear correlation with levels of crime. We support restorative justice as an effective response to wrongdoing and conflict in communities, with a balanced focus on the offender, the victim, and community. Millions of pounds have been spent over the past decade on the deployment of surveillance technology, with no evidence-base to back it up. Labour has increasingly resorted to authoritarian methods, but this has failed to reduce the fear of crime. Labour has also failed to live up to its promise to be tough on the causes of crime. Poverty, inequality, social deprivation and environmental injustice are still rife in our society. Civil liberties have been sacrificed for unproven technological fixes that divert resources from proven techniques that strengthen communities and reduce crime. Greens will develop and invest in a range of crime reduction and prevention measures that focus on tackling local sources of potential crime and improving the safety of our communities. Labour is once again seeking to trample civil liberties underfoot in favour of an unproven, impractical technological fix by seeking to introduce compulsory ID cards. We oppose their plans to fingerprint and track the entire population of Britain for a National Identity Register. We do not agree with the government’s claim that the population must add biometrics to their passports. International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards only require that the passport photo be digitised. For the same cost it would be possible to pay for 10,000 new police officers. Civil liberties and fiscal prudence mean we must reject ID cards. ##### Green MPs will work to: * oppose ID cards; * appoint more community police officers to focus on crime prevention; * > From 1994 to 2003, the average prison population increased by 17%. In the same period the female prison population has increased by 68%; over four times the growth in the male prison population. > > “Overcrowding has arguably become the single most problematic factor in maintaining order and security in Scottish prisons. It places enormous stress on the prisoner population and the finite resources of the Scottish Prison Service.” > > – Scottish Prison Complaints Commissioner, June 2004. * treat drug-taking as a health rather than a crime issue, rehabilitating the victims of addiction rather than locking them up; * establish police forces with local accountability to independent democratically controlled police authorities; * improve the design of our cities to provide safer streets and public spaces and strengthen communities; * support an independent Police Complaints Procedure; * provide universal access to high quality youth facilities; * increase resources for caretakers, attendants and staff on estates, railway stations, parks and other public areas; * ensure swift repair of damage done to public amenities and spaces. ### Changing the Face of Politics The Scottish Green Party wants to introduce democratic change to political life in the UK by shifting political power from the centre to more appropriate levels, giving people greater control over their own lives. Greens support calls for an independent Scotland – not out of nationalistic fervour, but as a means to create a more sustainable and democratic system of government. Such constitutional changes will come about only if people in Scotland want them and support them in referendums. We see independence as a process, not an event, and look forward to the Scottish Parliament and local government > “People must be trusted to elect people who are responsible for deciding on the laws of this country. If Politicians won’t trust the people, why should people trust them?” > > – Pater Facey, New Politics Network The Scottish Parliament is assuming more powers and an increasing relevance to Scotland. Greens support a written constitution and reject the hereditary principle. Labour has failed to deliver on the House of Lords, with Blair blocking moves towards genuine democracy at every turn. ## Planet The Scottish Green Party is the only party to take the long-term future of the planet seriously. Both governments and citizens have an overwhelming responsibility to act now to protect the place that supports us all. Greens want climate change put centre stage. It is the most serious threat facing ##### Green MPs will work to: * end any government, executive or judicial roles of the monarchy; * set a voting age of 16 for all elections and for candidates. The right to vote and stand in elections will be based on the citizen’s normal place of residence at the time of voter registration, rather than nationality; * support a written Constitution and a Bill of Rights as part of the legal framework of the Westminster Parliament; * introduce proportional representation for all elected bodies and all levels of government, including the House of Lords; * increase the involvement of community councils in decision-making; * promote a more serious form of politics, which always puts substance over style. “In my view, climate change is the most severe problem that we are facing today, more serious even than the threat of terrorism.” – Sir David King, Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK government life on earth and it must be addressed now. The impacts of climate change are not just environmental, we face huge social and economic costs. Action on climate change must also tackle global injustice. A recent study showed that if every nation was as wasteful and polluting as Scotland, we would need an extra two planets to live on. We will take action to reduce Scotland’s ecological footprint to sustainable levels. At this year’s G8, Greens will be backing the Make Poverty History campaign and joining calls for action on global poverty and climate change. The Labour government has failed miserably to make progress on reducing carbon pollution. Indeed roadbuilding and plans to double air travel will make things much worse. ### Climate Change: Sleepwalking to Disaster Global problems require both global and local solutions. By building an international consensus for action on climate change and for a fair deal for developing countries, we will make real progress. But it’s vital that we match our words with actions here in Scotland. Labour talks a good game, setting ambitious targets to limit greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2050. In action, Labour finances huge road-building programmes and expands airports across the UK. Labour will not provide the investment and infrastructure we need to address climate change. There have been some improvements in air pollution, but Glasgow, for example, still regularly tops lists of Britain’s most-polluted cities. Reductions in Scotland’s emissions lag behind those of the rest of the UK, yet Labour still plans for ever-increasing traffic levels. If we significantly reduce the burning of fossil fuels, we can begin to tackle climate change and conserve our dwindling oil reserves. As part of our commitment to combating pollution, we want to bring Scotland’s housing and public transport into the 21st century and we do not believe the polluting aviation industry should enjoy massive subsidies. Labour also wants new nuclear power stations. Greens are calling for a long-term energy plan built on energy efficiency and renewable energy. The way in which business is run must be reformed in the public interest. Responsible businesses will make the grade, but polluters and exploiters must be brought to book. It is our duty to nurture the seas as a resource, not pollute and over-exploit them. ##### Green MPs will work to: * support the introduction of a global Contraction-Convergence scheme to share fairly the world’s carbon emissions between rich and poor countries; * strengthen the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and co-ordinate a strong multinational response, which includes heavy oil users such as China and the USA; * share our knowledge of energy efficiency and renewable energy technology with governments across the globe; * introduce import taxes for countries that maintain an unfair trading advantage by not complying with climate change treaties; * ensure that the UK Climate Change Programme is the most ambitious governmental programme in the world, “climate proofing” all spending decisions and government policies. Set up a UK task force headed by the Prime Minister and the First Ministers of the devolved countries, working for year-on-year reductions in greenhouse gas emissions; * set tough emissions reduction targets for power companies and industry; * set an energy strategy for the UK to deliver a phased withdrawal of fossil and nuclear electricity generation and ambitious energy efficiency measures in all sectors leading to a target of 40% reduction in demand by 2020 and establish renewable energy targets for fuel, heating and transport; * allocate £500 million for the development of wave and tidal resources in Scotland; * raise investment in other renewable technologies, such as biomass and solar; * upgrade the electricity grid to get renewable electricity into centres of population; * develop the case for a sub-sea electricity grid to harness our offshore renewable energy potential; * ensure all new public buildings include Combined Heat and Power and/or renewable energy technologies; * make all new buildings comply with stringent energy efficiency ratings; * end the “fuel poverty” that means the poorest families live in homes that are the most difficult to heat; * make the price of all transport journeys more fairly reflect their cost to the environment; * oppose the building of new airports or the planned expansion of existing facilities; * support the Europe-wide campaign against night flights; * end tax exemptions and other subsidies for the air industry, with the exception of subsidies for “lifeline” island services; * encourage the introduction of urban transport systems, such as trams and light rail, and bring the railways back under public control; * invest in high speed trains to connect Scotland with England and Europe. ##### Green MPs will also work to: * protect the seas by creating a single Marine Act to make sense of the often conflicting and damaging “laws of the sea”; * remove responsibility for control of the seabed from the Crown Estates and transfer them to the Scottish Parliament. Sporting, mineral rights and royalties should be transferred from Crown Estates to new community land trusts. ### Meltdown: Why Nuclear Power Is Not the Answer “To present nuclear power as one of the main ways of combating climate change is short-sighted ... nuclear power simply does not represent a viable option at present. “Given the costs associated with nuclear power and current uncertainties surrounding the problems of dealing with nuclear waste, making the UK more energy efficient is a far safer, cheaper and more realistic solution ...” – Philip Sellwood, Chief Executive of the Government’s Energy Saving Trust We’ve always been assured that nuclear power is cheap, clean, and safe. This is just not true. The UK government is planning to accept responsibility for up to £5 billion of privately-owned _British Energy’s_ liabilities. From April 2005, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority takes on the liabilities of BNFL and UKAEA, which are thought to amount to some £48 billion. Nuclear power is not cheap. The nuclear chain reaction itself doesn’t create CO emissions, but the mining, refining and 2 processing of uranium ore are all highly polluting. Over the whole fuel cycle, nuclear power creates significant CO emissions, radioactive 2 emissions – both permitted and accidental – and radioactive waste, hazardous for millions of years. Nuclear power is not clean. Nuclear power station leaks, accidents, disputed clusters of childhood leukaemia and now the terrorist threat, exacerbated by the industry’s interest in AP 1000 reactors which replace double containment systems with single, mean that nuclear power is not safe. Greens do not believe nuclear power can ever be a solution to climate change. Investment in nuclear power diverts resources from more effective measures of reducing CO emissions. 2 Because of our ready access to wind, wave and other clean energy sources, Scotland could be self-sufficient in renewables. But to lead the world in this technology, we need the political will and the investment, which only the Scottish Greens would provide. ##### Green MPs will work to: * devolve all energy policy to the Scottish Parliament; * implement stringent and effective energy conservation measures to minimise our energy requirements; * rule out building any new nuclear power stations – we don’t have to choose between unsustainable climate change or unsustainable nuclear power; * set targets to make Scotland the world’s first “fossil-fuel-free” state by 2050 without resorting to nuclear power. ### Corporate Accountability: Tackling Big Business It is 20 years since the worst disaster caused by a multinational corporation. In Bhopal, India, the Union Carbide pesticides factory leaked toxic gas and killed 20,000 people. The company directors continue to evade justice for this atrocity. The company behaved in the way that big businesses continue to behave all over the world: it chased profit in a competitive market by driving up production and slashing costs. But cost-cutting means compromising wages, safety and the environment. Some companies recognise that accidents, under-paid workers and environmental pollution are not good for business. But the bottom-line for corporations is their duty to make profit for shareholders. And corporations are politically more powerful than at any other time. Tony Blair’s New Labour is increasingly accountable to big business and to lobbyists, not to the electorate. At home, in Europe and internationally, Labour is happy to be a best pal to business, rather than to people and their communities. > “… the corporation can neither recognise nor act upon moral reasons to refrain from harming others. Nothing in its legal makeup limits what it can do to others in pursuit of its selfish ends, and it is compelled to cause harm when the benefits of doing so outweigh the costs. Only pragmatic concern for its own interests and the laws of the land constrain the corporation’s predatory instincts, and often that is not enough to stop it from destroying lives, damaging communities, and endangering the planet as a whole.” > > – Joel Bakan, The Corporation ##### Green MPs will work to: * introduce a Corporate Liability Act, combining the need for more stringent environmental enforcement with the need for accountability of corporate entities on every aspect of production process and business practice; * support the Corporate Responsibility Bill in Parliament as a step towards corporate accountability; * empower workers, local communities and other affected parties to have a say in guiding businesses in a socially and environmentally just society. ## Peace “I like to believe that people in the long run are going to do more to promote peace than our governments. Indeed, I think that people want peace so much that one of these days governments had better get out of the way and let them have it.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower Despite the atrocity of 9/11, despite the war in Iraq, the threat of terrorism and the alienation of countries from the West, we continue to believe in peace. We have always been, committed to peace and to peaceful solutions to conflict. Greens were prominent campaigners in Scotland and across the world against the war in Iraq. We believe the US and UK have to rebuild international trust and hand over to a UN-controlled force. We believe that there has to be a just settlement in the Middle East. Britain has a moral obligation to destroy its own weapons of mass destruction, and to deliver on our commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Greens have consistently campaigned against nuclear weapons throughout their history. Britain must also scale down its arms trade, which supplies weapons for ### Building a Safer World: Co-operation, not Conflict Tony Blair has allowed Britain to launch an illegal war on Iraq to serve the foreign policy of an extreme right-wing American president. He has not only exacerbated global tensions, but has encouraged the climate of fear in which terrorism can thrive. conflicts and state repression all over the world. An unjust world will never be a peaceful one, so we believe it is the wealthy West’s duty to cancel Third World Debt and to focus on eradicating poverty, disease and suffering in the poorest nations. We would legislate for fair trade to ensure that the exploitation of the developing world by the richest countries is halted and to enable poorer countries to build sustainable economies of their own. We will support human rights and a fair system for supporting asylum seekers in Britain and value their contribution to our country. We also believe our worldwide peace and fair trade policies would reduce the number of refugees fleeing both the danger and destitution they face in their own countries. We must respond intelligently to the threat of terrorism, by stopping funds and arresting suspects where there is specific evidence of criminal activity. Much more important, however, is to address the long-term underlying causes, such as inequality, injustice and poverty. At the same time, we need to be honest and realistic about the nature of the threats facing us. Labour continues to spread fear and uncertainty in order to engineer unprecedented moves in both domestic and foreign policy. Britain could contribute much more constructively to a peaceful world. We must get rid of our own weapons of mass destruction, which encourage other countries to possess them, and greatly reduce our arms trade. As one of the world’s richest nations, we must co-operate with others in addressing poverty all over the world. ##### Green MPs will work to: * withdraw troops from Iraq and hand over to UN-led forces; * decommission all the UK’s nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction; * prevent nuclear proliferation and end support for the USA’s missile defence plans; * cancel all outstanding debts of developing countries, and immediately meet our UN obligation to commit 0·7% of GDP to funding development; * promote international efforts to combat AIDS, TB and malaria, and to provide free health and education services to all; * restructure the military for conflict resolution and for peace enforcement; * introduce education for peace and human rights into all schools in order to teach the skills of conflict resolution, mediation and non-violent social change; * oppose any moves to increase European military spending, as proposed in the current EU Constitution; * support a “yes” vote on the EU Constitution, but also argue for significant amendments, in order to extend democratic accountability and sustainable development in Europe; * reform the UN Security Council by ending permanent membership and single country veto, and introducing fair representation; * give the UN more effective authority for early mediation and intervention in disputes. ### International Trade: Where Fair Beats Free The Scottish Green Party believes that UK and EU trade policy should be governed by three key ethical principles: to benefit the poorest countries and the poorest people within them; to contribute to human rights; and to contribute to greater environmental sustainability. As such, we fully support the growing trade justice movement. Trade can overcome local, regional and national scarcity, and can generate new livelihoods and employment. However, it can also damage the environment and destroy vulnerable local industries. Green MPs will take account of both positive and negative outcomes of trade and will ensure that all countries have equal access to trade negotiations. The UK is in a strong position within institutions such as the WTO, the G8, and the EU to demand reform of international trading regulations. Trade agreements need to focus on achieving sustainable development, of which poverty eradication is an integral part. Legislation is also required to ensure that sustainability is not sacrificed for international “competitiveness”. ##### Green MPs will work to: * bring forward legislation to establish an Ethical Trading Accreditation Scheme, which will set standards of environmental sustainability and social welfare; * implement an Ethical Trading Tax, which penalises those producing goods and services which fall below the standards of the scheme, giving a competitive advantage to ethically-run businesses; * introduce a currency transaction tax, akin to the Tobin Tax, in order to provide further funding to achieve the Millennium Development Goals; * sign up to the international arms trade treaty to help control the flow of weapons; * ensure that all countries have equal access to trade negotiations; * reform the WTO, as part of a strengthened UN, with a remit to enforce core social and environmental standards in our trade system, rather than its current role of enforcing the rights of multinational companies. ### A Safe Refuge: Asylum and Immigration The Scottish Green Party fully supports the right of those fleeing persecution to asylum in this country according to the 1951 UN Convention on the Status of Refugees. Both Scotland and the UK are capable of offering sanctuary to those who need it. We believe that asylum seekers should be allowed to work and claim benefits as soon as their application has been made. Permission to work will ensure that skills are not wasted, as well as reducing the cost of supporting asylum seekers. The Scottish Green Party supports a fair asylum policy and an end to the practice whereby asylum seekers are subject to detention without reason. Whilst recognising the contribution that refugees and asylum seekers make to this country, Greens campaign for the international policies that would reduce the need for asylum. ##### Green MPs will work to: * amend the law to allow asylum seekers to work and claim benefits as soon as their application has been made; * end the practice of making “failed” asylum seekers destitute, which drives them into the illegal economy, leaving them open to abuse and exploitation; * end the practice whereby asylum seekers are subject to detention without reason beyond the fact that they are seeking asylum; * ensure there is an independent appeals tribunal in line with international standards; * ratify the 1990 UN Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers and their Families; * honour our obligations under the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees; * promote the work of the UN in protecting refugees and stateless persons and in suppressing human trafficking. > “Unless we properly manage resources like land, minerals and oil, we will not win the fight against poverty. And there will not be peace. Old conflicts will rage on and new resource wars will erupt unless we change the path we are on.” > > – Wangari Maathai, of the Mazingira Green Party of Kenya, Founder of the Green Belt Movement, and Kenya’s Environment Minister, accepting the Nobel Peace Prize, 2004. ### Would you buy a used planet from these people? ##### Climate Change **Tony Blair Says:** *”There is no doubt that the time to act is now.”* – September 14th 2004 **Labour Do:** 26th October 2004: Plans to curb industry’s greenhouse gas emissions are scaled back. Allowable CO₂ emissions by power generators go up 6·6 million tonnes a year. Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett says the plans could have damaged industry. ##### Transport **John Prescott Says:** *”I will have failed if in five year’s time there are not many more people using public transport and far fewer journeys by car. It’s a tall order, but I urge you to hold me to it.”* – June 6th, 1997 **Labour Do:** By 2002, there was a 36·6 billion km (8%) rise in annual motor vehicle journeys. Traffic levels still rising. ##### Sustainability **Alex Salmond Says:** *”This latest discovery coupled with high oil prices demonstrates the enormous oil wealth that is still to come.”* – 8th December 2004 *”Our oil industry will remain one of the engines of the Scottish economy.”* – 1st March 2005 **Alex Salmond Does Not Mention:** Climate Change! Nor does he mention that the North Sea’s oil production peaked in 1999 and conservative projections put global peak oil at 2010, only five years away. A truly sustainable Scotland can only be built by preparing now for life without oil. Oil is becoming a luxury item which ever fewer will be able to afford. ##### Corporate Accountability **Michael Howard Says:** *”The environment needs a government that is prepared to set a regulatory framework that is fair.”* – at a Green Alliance conference in September 2004 **Michael Howard Also Says:** *”I want to praise the profit-makers, because too often in our country, profit is used as a dirty word. We’ll cut the regulatory burden you all face.”* – at the CBI Annual Lunch, 2005 ##### Civil Liberties **Charles Kennedy Says:** *”The Liberal Democrats will take a stand on our civil liberties.”* – Launch of the Liberal Democrats’ Five Point Plan for Civil Liberties, 8th February 2005 **Charles Kennedy Does:** He was one of 17 Liberal Democrat MPs who missed the crucial vote on draconian anti-terror legislation on 28th February 2005 in the House of Commons. The Government won the vote by only 14 votes. *”It was a miscalculation by everyone at every level. There was chaos in the chamber and we had no idea at all ...”* – Mark Oaten, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary - On the Greens’ successful motion against ID cards in Scotland, the Liberal Democrats abstained en masse. ##### Environment **Liberal Democrats Say:** *”In cities and towns where traffic congestion is a problem, ... Liberal Democrats will extend congestion charging ...”* *”No commercial GM crops until we know they’re safe for the environment.”* – Liberal Democrat “pre-manifesto”, September 2004 **Liberal Democrats Do:** Liberal Democrats led the campaign against a congestion charge in Edinburgh. Their MSPs voted against moves by Green MSPs to prevent GM crops being planted in Scotland. ##### SSP Says: *”The SSP has always had differences with sections of the environmental movement.”* – Rosie Kane MSP The SSP claim that Scotland’s leading environmental NGOs, Friends of the Earth Scotland and TRANSform Scotland, exhibited “fake environmentalism” over congestion charging. **The Chair of TRANSform Scotland had said:** *”The kneejerk reaction of the SSP is particularly shameful. Their decision to take sides with the Tories rips to shreds any environmental pretensions they may have had. Until now, we have had a productive working relationship with the SSP. We are now unsure whether we are able to work with the SSP in the future.”* *The rainbow alliance against the future...* ## Greens in Action Everywhere The Green movement is growing fast across the world. Greens have become government ministers in Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Kenya and beyond. There are Green Parties in 70 countries. Latvia has had a Green Prime Minister. In the UK we have 60 councillors, two Members of the London Assembly, seven MSPs and two MEPs. The only level of government where there is no Green representation is at Westminster. Although the voting system may #### Food For a food revolution and supporting local community campaigns against the megaretail invasion, opposing local supermarket developments and supporting small business growth. #### Energy Consistently campaigning for increased funds and action for energy efficiency. In February, the Scottish Parliament voted to support a Green MSP motion calling for tougher action on energy efficiency. A Green Bill on Home Energy Efficiency has been lodged. #### Waste Leading a campaign for a “Zero Waste” approach to Scotland’s dire record on waste. Encouraging local authorities to take a lead in the absence of government action. directly discriminate against emerging parties, a Green MP is inevitable. This election, and this manifesto, are largely focused on reserved issues, as the Scottish Parliament has responsibility for many areas including public services. But questions will be asked across all areas. So what are our Green MSPs doing? Using the powers in the Scottish Parliament, and working with local communities in each region, the seven Green MSPs are campaigning on: #### Transport For traffic reduction and more public transport with a Green Transport Bill in progress. Promoting public transport alternatives to the Executive’s £1 billion roads programme and opposing major new roads such as the M74 Northern Extension and the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route. #### Climate Change For serious action, prompting the first parliamentary inquiry into climate change. Exposing the contradictions of the Scottish Executive’s motorway building programme and promotion of ever more air travel. #### Gm Taking action for a GM-free Scotland, including a law to keep biotech companies at bay by holding them liable for any economic damage caused by GM crops. #### Public Services To replace council tax and business rates with Land Value Taxation. A bill is under development. #### Planning Promoting third party right of appeal to level the playing field between developers and communities. Green MSPs have campaigned locally to save green spaces and supported dozens of community campaigns against ill-thought out and unjust developments such as those faced by the Greengairs community already surrounded by eight landfills and open cast mines. #### Education Campaigning for sustainable development to be at the root of all education approaches, and promoting peace education. Green MSPs are campaigning against against commercial interests influence in education and end all Private Finance Initiatives. #### Health Fostering a public health approach to create a National Health – not Sickness – Service with preventative action and a healthier environment, and support for the ban of smoking in enclosed public spaces to protect workers and non-smokers from the effects of other people’s cigarette smoke. #### ID Cards Green MSPs scored a landmark victory in their campaign against ID cards, when the Parliament backed a Green motion and voted to reject ID cards, demanding a statement from the Scottish Executive on the use of a proposed national identity database in Scotland. ### There are many ways of making the world a better place – but come election day, this is first on the list: ## Vote Green For further information on anything in this manifesto, or for enquiries about any other policy issue, contact: ### The Scottish Green Party FREEPOST RLRJ-USZY-EAZX 3 Lyne St. Edinburgh EH7 5DN Tel. 08700 772207 Email: office@scottishgreens.org.uk Or visit the Scottish Green Party website at: www.scottishgreens.org.uk Photographs and graphics by Scottish Green Party and allied Green Parties except as credited.