Johnstone claims a better future is Green

‘The Scottish Greens Will Deliver a Better Future’

Scottish Greens Parliamentary Co-Leader Alison Johnstone MSP brought the party spring conference in Edinburgh to a close yesterday afternoon by telling delegates that only the Greens are willing to take the bold action needed to secure a better future for us all.

On Europe, Climate and our children’s future the Scottish Greens say they are delivering real change now and working for a better Scotland, while the other parties put partisan politics before the national interest.

On the Tories Brexit chaos, Ms Johnstone told her party’s members, “I have never seen anything like this in my life.”

Commenting on a promise made during the 2014 independence campaign she added: “In 2014 Ruth Davidson told people in Scotland that if they wanted to stay in the EU, they should vote no to independence. That went well.”

And on the inadequacy of the current group of Scottish Tories in Holyrood she said : “How can it be the case that not a single Scottish Conservative has voiced their disquiet about the behaviour of their colleagues in Westminster? We are told that the majority of Scottish Conservatives, like the overwhelming majority of people in Scotland, like every local authority area in Scotland, voted to remain in the EU, yet not a peep. Not even in the face of the hardest of Brexits.

“I was going to say that I’m not surprised at their behaviour, but I am. Their behaviour has plumbed new depths. It’s now clear that they don’t care if livelihoods are lost, if ordinary people suffer as a result of their obsession.”

On the Scottish Greens’ position in relation to Brexit and the EU Alison said : “In the face of timidity, stupidity, selfishness, tribalism and outright racism we have been rock solid. People know where we stand on the EU. Members of other parties don’t have that certainty. But folk know the Greens wholeheartedly want to be in the EU, and to work to change what needs to be changed. No ifs, no buts.”

On Labour’s woeful Brexit stance, the Lothian MSP told members, “And what about the so-called official opposition. Their initial response, the incredible ‘jobs first brexit’! To put it politely I am absolutely baffled by their behaviour. International socialists? International socialists don’t collude with the Tories to remove the right of citizens to freedom of movement within the EU. Voting to remove the rights of people to move, and to work. The so-called party of the worker.”

On the need for urgent and bold action on the climate crisis, Alison told conference: “Sadly it will come as no surprise to you that only we Greens voted for our motion on a climate emergency in parliament. No one else could support it because it called for a transition away from fossil fuels. If we do not move away from fossil fuels there will be no future, or at least not one that anyone would wish to experience.”

In concluding her speech, Ms Johnstone highlighted the Green MSPs determination to make Scotland the best place in the world to grow up in, “In parliament, we are working to make Scotland the best country in the world to grow up in. We mean it. John Finnie’s bill on equal protection will remove the defence of ‘justifiable assault’ and ensure our youngest, smallest citizens have the protections adults enjoy. Mark Ruskell’s bill for a 20mph default speed limit in residential and shopping areas has huge support, road safety can’t depend on your postcode.”