Greens had ‘full input’ into indy fiscal plan
SCOTTISH Green ministers had a “full input” into the drafting of the updated economic case for independence to be published on Monday, Patrick Harvie has said.
Mr Harvie made clear that both he and fellow party co-leader Lorna Slater agreed a single Scottish Government paper with SNP ministers despite the two parties having divergent views on the currency issue ahead of the 2014 referendum.
Some areas of economic policy, including the role of gross domestic product (GDP) measurements and economic principles related to concepts of sustainable growth, are excluded from the Bute House Agreement which the SNP and Scottish Greens signed in August last year and which saw the Greens enter government.
Speaking to The Herald as his party’s two-day annual conference gets under way in Dundee today, Mr Harvie, who is minister for zerocarbon buildings, active travel and tenants’ rights, was asked his party’s role in shaping the forthcoming economic paper.
“All of the Scottish Government policy papers on independence – Building the New Scotland series – are developed within the Scottish Government so, obviously, as part of the Scottish Government we have a full input to the development of all of those,” he said.
The Herald also asked about a £20 billion oil fund plan unveiled by First Minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon at her party conference in Aberdeen earlier this week which she said would be in the Scottish Government paper.
He said: “Obviously, the economy paper comes out on Monday. I can’t tell you what is in that until we publish that on Monday.
“But I can tell you that the SNP have their policies and the Scottish Greens have our policies and in government we tend to focus on the areas of common ground which are substantial but which don’t cover everything.
“And we have acknowledged in the Bute House Agreement that we don’t completely agree on the issues facing the oil and gas sector. But nobody has suggested the oil and gas sector is going to be switched off overnight and nobody, except for the Conservatives, is saying that is should just drill for every drop.”
He added: “The Scottish Government position published on Monday will be about the common ground.”
Earlier this week, Ms Sturgeon defended her strategy to use oil and gas revenues to boost the economy of a future independent Scotland despite concerns over the climate impact.
Climate campaigners branded the proposal “environmentally and economically reckless”.
They insisted that polluting oil and gas giants will need to be
“taxed properly and tasked with
On currency the SNP have moved much closer to what some of us where saying in the Yes movement in 2014
cleaning up their own mess” in an independent Scotland to avoid the strategy failing to generate a significant amount of income.
In the 2014 independence referendum, the SNP campaign relied heavily on oil – with former first minister Alex Salmond making a bold claim that the North Sea industry belonged to Scotland.
Ahead of the 2014 vote, the Scottish Greens backed the introduction of a separate currency for Scotland under independence, while the SNP supported continuing to use sterling in a currency union with the UK.
However, since then the SNP have shifted position. Under the party’s updated economic plan published in 2018, the Nationalists have adopted a policy of continuing to use the pound and then introducing a new currency once
six key economic tests had been met.
Asked about the two parties different policies on currency, Mr Harvie said: “The Scottish Government will publish its position on Monday. But the SNP have already moved from where they were in 2014 to the proposition that there should be an independent Scottish currency as swiftly as possible. And that is much closer to what some of us in the 2014 Yes campaign were saying.”
During this weekend’s conference the Scottish Greens will debate a nine-point plan to tackle poverty
and the cost of living. The plan has been developed by the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) and includes a commitment to a real pay rise for all public sector workers.
It will be debated as an emergency motion tomorrow and seeks to tie elected Green representatives, including those in government, to voting in line with the aims of the campaign.
The “Scotland Demands Better” motion was submitted by the Scottish Greens’ Trade Union Group.
Scottish Green Party co-leader Lorna Slater has said she supports
the principles of the motion but warned the funding settlement from Westminster means “really difficult decisions” have to be made.
STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer said: “It’s hugely welcome that, right off the bat, the Scottish Green Trade Union Group has stood shoulder to shoulder with our Scotland Demands Better campaign.
“Our communities are suffering. This cost-of-living emergency has brought workers to their knees, unable to heat their homes, feed their families or afford the basic commodities of life.”