Lorna Slater: Six months in Greens are just getting started
Today marks six months since Scottish Green Party members voted to enter government, and a new poll has shown that most Scots believe that measures implemented to alleviate poverty and tackle the cost of living crisis will be beneficial to household finances in Scotland, with co-leader Lorna Slater saying her party are just getting started.
With Greens in government the introduction of free bus travel for young people in Scotland went ahead in January, a move that 70% of respondents to a poll conducted between 17th and 21st February said would be beneficial to household finances. And parliament has just passed a budget that will double the Scottish Child Payment to £20 per week from April, a move that 77% said would be very or quite beneficial to household finances in Scotland.
Commenting, Scottish Greens Co-leader Lorna Slater MSP said:
“This week marks six months since Scottish Green Party members voted for us to enter government, and I am delighted in the progress that we’ve made in that time. And there’s much more to come.
“The co-operation agreement we signed contained a host of measures to tackle poverty and the climate emergency and we haven’t wasted any time in delivering those.
“Two measures that I am particularly proud of are the implementation of free bus travel for young people, and the doubling of the Scottish child payment.
“Free bus travel for everyone aged 21 and under came into force in January and already thousands of young people have accessed their entitlement. There is no doubt that this policy is good for both family finances and for the climate.
“Doubling the Scottish Child Payment is an extremely important measure, particularly when families are faced with a Tory cost of living crisis, and I am delighted that we have just passed the budget that will deliver this policy from April.
“At a time when Tory policies are making life tougher for those with the least, I’m pleased that, as this poll shows, with Greens in government here in Scotland we are implementing policies that will benefit those who are struggling the most. And we’re only just getting started."