Deal with Greens bold move in bid to tackle priorities
Last week, the Scottish Government and the Scottish Green Party reached an historic co-operation agreement
I was privileged to be deeply involved in the negotiations, and I am pleased that a deal could be reached after careful dialogue and reflection.
It will now be up to the respective party memberships to decide whether to approve this deal.
Despite the protestations of opposition parties, the SNP and Greens’decision to leave our comfort zones in search of political cooperation and common ground is no bad thing and, in fact, reflects the founding ethos of the Scottish Parliament.
Indeed, the horse shoe shape of the debating chamber pays tribute to this idea, and was designed in such a shape so as to promote a less adversarial, more constructive style of politics.
And while the SNP and the Greens have not agreed to enter a formal coalition, it is worth noting that between 1999 and 2007 the Scottish Government was comprised of a Labour and Liberal Democrat coalition – a fact that makes their cries of indignation over this deal ring particularly hollow.
That Labour, the Lib Dems and the Tories are not willing to even attempt to find common ground with the Scottish Government is a sad reflection of their current priorities.
Indeed, they seem more interested in opposing the SNP than working constructively to build a better future for Scotland.
And the SNP/Green deal will deliver a better future.
It will see bold action on housing with a“new deal”for tenants.
This will enhance the existing rights of tenants and offer greater protection from eviction, while also giving tenants more freedom to decorate their home and keep pets. We will also introduce a national system of rent controls to ensure that cost of housing is affordable.
We will take decisive steps to tackle the climate emergency by investing over £5bn to maintain, improve and de-carbonise Scotland’s rail network, and commission a Fair Fares Review to ensure that the cost of public transport is affordable.
We will also provide a £500m Just Transition Fund to protect jobs, while we support and accelerate the transition towards more sustainable energy sources.
And we will continue to work towards making Scotland a stronger, fairer place to raise a family with aggressive action to eradicate the scourge of child poverty.
This will include a significant increase to the level of the Scottish Child Payment, with a full £20 per child payment being achieved within the lifetime of this parliament.
Make no mistake, the SNP and the Scottish Greens are two distinct parties, and often our views will differ.
But we were brought together by a common belief that politics can and should work better, and that we can unite around a progressive agenda to improve the lives of Scots.
I wholeheartedly support this deal, and I firmly believe that such a bold approach is necessary to tackle the challenges that our nation will face in the years to come.