Alister Jack must go or be sacked by Prime Minister over DRS falsehoods
Scottish Secretary Alister Jack must resign or be sacked by the Prime Minister for spreading damaging falsehoods about Scotland’s new Deposit Return Scheme, say the Scottish Greens.
They have also praised responsible businesses for signing up to the new scheme “in their droves” ahead of it going live on August 16. That’s despite a “dangerously cynical campaign” to undermine Scottish Green minister Lorna Slater, the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament, they say.
Scottish Greens environment spokesperson Mark Ruskell MSP said:
“Alister Jack has clearly and shamefully misled the UK Parliament into thinking the Scottish Government had not sought an exemption from the Internal Market Act by telling falsehoods when nothing could be further from the truth.
“There is a trail of evidence, which as Scottish Secretary he must have been fully aware of, proving this to be quite the opposite. Why then did he tell the House of Commons and bark into every available microphone that they had not?
“This is just the tip of what has been a dangerously cynical campaign to undermine Scottish Greens minister Lorna Slater, the Scottish Parliament and the scheme itself regardless of the impact it would have on people and on the planet.
“Rishi Sunak claims to be all about integrity, well here is his chance to prove it. Alister Jack has sought to abuse his office to try and block the will of the Scottish people and to undermine the very principles of Devolution. He must be told to resign or be sacked.
“He does not have the confidence of the businesses who have ignored his works of fiction by signing up in their droves, he does not have the confidence of a Scottish Parliament who voted for the scheme - he should not command the confidence of the Prime Minister either.
“The Deposit Return Scheme will help rid our nation of litter, help us achieve our climate targets, and create hundreds of jobs in doing so. It will also set the model for how successful deposit return schemes can operate across the UK.
“Those who have already endorsed the scheme including many who have invested millions in the scheme already should have our thanks, and I would encourage those who haven’t yet to follow suit.
“DRS will go down in history as one of the most important pieces of work ever done by this parliament, and all those who have spoken against it will be judged by the people of Scotland as its importance and positive impacts become clear.”
Image Credit: Jon Tyson