The Scottish Greens will re-write the country’s City Deals, introduce a four-day week and campaign for Scotland’s place in Europe, according to their manifesto.
The party – which announced earlier this month it would not be standing candidates in Dundee, Perth, Angus and North East Fife –is promising to “transform the Scottish economy” in the shape of its “Green New Deal”.
In the manifesto, published on Monday, the Greens are calling for decommissioning work on the UK’s Trident submarines to be brought forward, a reversal of cuts to renewable energy subsidies and for public transport to be made free at the point of use.
Candidate for Dunfermline and West Fife Mags Hall said: “Whilst decommissioning work will bring an initial jobs boost to Rosyth, its long term future will lie in building low carbon ships and ferries, and we need to start planning for that now.
“There are over 50 ferries running on public routes in Scotland which will all need replacing or refitting if we are to meet our climate change targets – enough to keep Rosyth and other shipyards across Scotland in work for a generation.
“Getting rid of these ageing nuclear submarines must be the first step in freeing up the yard and making way for a Green New Deal plan.”
Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said: “Other parties have made commitments to address this crisis in their manifestos, but their actions do not match their words.
“Labour, for example, have already dropped their 2030 net-zero promise and have recently opened a coal mine in Cumbria.
“The Liberal Democrats talk about giving councils new powers to lower emissions, just a month after they voted against exactly that in Holyrood.
“Meanwhile, the SNP are claiming leadership on this issue while taking money from the oil and aviation giants.
“The clearest way to demand climate action in this election is to vote Scottish Green on December 12.”
Co-leader Lorna Slater said an independent Scotland, which the party supports, could be a leading light in climate action worldwide.
She said: “This general election comes at a time of unprecedented threats to our democracy, our environment and our future.
“Our Scottish Green New Deal reports have revealed the urgent action the Scottish Government could do now to tackle the climate emergency, to secure thousands of jobs, an integrated public transport system and warm homes for all.
“But with the powers held by Westminster, we could do so much more. This election is an opportunity to push for a written constitution and citizen’s assemblies, but as an independent European country, Scotland could be an agile leader in the global effort to tackle the climate emergency.”
