World News Today: Scottish Greens launch manifesto

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Scottish Greens launch manifesto

wind turbines with cows in the foreground

The Greens say that jobs can be created from renewables like wind farms

The Scottish Greens are launching their Holyrood election manifesto, with a pledge to increase tax to counteract UK government spending cuts.

The party has also pledged to scrap the new Forth road bridge and Aberdeen bypass and to divert the cash to other areas of public spending.

It also wants a land value tax to replace council tax and business rates.

The party, which had two MSPs in the last parliament, opposes fees for Scots university students studying at home.

The Scottish Greens' tax plans would see 0.5p added to the Scottish Variable Rate, or Tartan Tax, from 2013, on the assumption that Westminster's cuts to Scottish funding would continue throughout the next parliament.

This would, the party argued, raise more than £200m a year, with someone earning £20,000 paying £1.20 a week more in tax, rising to £3.60 for people on salaries of £44,875.

Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie said: "No-one wants to raise taxes, but neither do Scots want to see vital public services go to the wall.

"Alongside a shift to land value tax, that would cut bills for more than 85% of Scots households, this move is likely to be essential to avoid the worst of the UK government's cuts agenda."

The Scottish Greens also want to see commitment to large-scale ecosystem restoration projects, including a dedicated peatland restoration fund.

And they want the justice system to focus on crime prevention, with mediation and restorative justice top priorities, while protecting local health services from being centralised.

The pro-independence Scottish Greens also want a renewed convention on devolution, with the public and civic organisations at the forefront.

This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.