Greens call for SNP government to reverse funding cuts in upcoming budget
Scottish Green Party members have sent a stark warning to the SNP from their conference in Greenock, ahead of Scottish Budget negotiations set to take place later this year.
A motion agreed by the Scottish Greens conference condemned cuts recently made to Green policies by the SNP, including cuts to the Nature Restoration Fund and free bus travel for asylum seekers. These cuts were made following the end of the cooperation agreement between the two parties.
The motion, moved by party finance spokesperson Ross Greer, would require the SNP to include mechanisms for ongoing monitoring of any potential budget agreement, preventing them from securing the votes of Green MSPs and then reneging after the budget has been passed.
The motion was further strengthened by amendments insisting that council funding cannot be cut and that councils should be given new powers to raise additional funds.
The motion comes a day after Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie warned First Minister John Swinney that he cannot take the votes of Green MSPs for granted in the upcoming budget.
Scottish Greens finance spokesperson Ross Greer said, “We have made clear to the Scottish Government that we are willing to engage constructively and in good faith, as we believe all MSPs should.
"However, our members’ overwhelming support for my motion shows how challenging budget negotiations will be for the government. Scotland is in a financial crisis, largely as a result of budget cuts made by the Tories and Labour in Westminster but which Holyrood must deal with the consequences of. Finding agreement in that context will be a challenge.
“The Scottish Greens believe that we must use every lever available to protect people and planet. That’s why we worked in government to deliver programmes like the Nature Restoration Fund and expansion of free school meals, both of which the SNP are now cutting back on.
“My motion also reflects the lack of trust caused by these cuts. Our MSPs will only support a budget if the government agrees that we are involved in its delivery. We will not risk passing a budget only for the SNP to drop the Green parts later on.
Commenting on the amendment to ensure council budgets are not cut, Mr Greer said, “Our councils are on the front line of delivering the public services we all rely on, from schools to social care to bin collections. During our time in government the Scottish Greens delivered new powers for councils, such as doubling Council Tax on holiday homes. We will always work to ensure that local services are well funded.
“The long overdue reform process for council finances, initiated and progressed by Greens in government, now seems to have stalled under the SNP. That will be another important point for our budget negotiations. No repeat of the Council Tax freeze debacle and a real-terms increase to council funding is the very minimum that we will need in this budget.”