Scottish Greens launch 2011 election campaign.

The Scottish Greens today launched their Holyrood 2011 election
campaign and introduced their top eight candidates at a press
conference and photo-call in Edinburgh. (1) The party also set out its
three key campaign pledges: keeping tuition free, investing in public
services through fairer taxation, and insulating every home in
Scotland. (2)

The Greens will stand a list of candidates in each of the eight
regions, and the Party is once again urging voters to "second vote
green" throughout the campaign, including through social media. (3)

Eleanor Scott, the Party's Co-convenor, said:

"Across Scotland, second votes will elect Green MSPs to Holyrood.
Whoever you want as First Minister, the question is this: who should
hold the balance of power? There are only two choices - either one of
the Westminster coalition parties, or the Greens.

"In the last session every vote counted, and the Green MSPs helped
abolish tuition fees, secured millions for community environmental
projects, and won investment in marine renewables. If we are in that
position again, our first priority will be to invest in public
services, and to back this with fairer taxes on big business and the
wealthiest. Unlike the other parties, each of which in turn has broken
promises to students, we know where the money's coming from to
guarantee Scotland won't return to tuition fees. We will also work to
bring in a comprehensive free national insulation scheme at a cost of
£100million a year, to cut bills, boost jobs and tackle climate
change."

Co-convenor Patrick Harvie added:

"This is a crucial election for Scotland, and it will answer some very
important questions about this country's future. Previous votes have
taken place in easier times, when it could be said with a straight
face that boom and bust was over, and where all the other parties
endorsed an economy reliant on speculation and casino banking.

"Last time Scotland voted budgets were still rising, and the prospect
of a Tory Government with an ideological cuts agenda was still far
away. The debates were all about how that extra money should best be
spent. It seems a long time ago.

"Now the question is this: do we need a Scottish Government prepared
to stand up to that cuts agenda and ask big business and the richest
to pay more, or should Holyrood simply be passing the cuts on? The
other parties have no alternative to the cuts, and they want to wait
either for the Calman powers or for independence. It's a collective
failure of will, of principle, and of the imagination. If we want to
protect Scotland's environment, public services and economy, we must
act now, and only a second vote for the Greens will elect MSPs who are
ready to do so from day one."

Notes:

1. The following people are the Scottish Green Party's top candidates.

- Central Scotland Region: Kirsten Robb
- Glasgow Region: Patrick Harvie
- Highlands and Islands Region: Eleanor Scott
- Lothian Region: Alison Johnstone
- Mid Scotland and Fife Region: Mark Ruskell
- North East Scotland Region: Martin Ford
- South Scotland Region: Alis Ballance
- West Scotland Region: Steen Parish

For more information on these candidates, and the full list of
candidates in each of the eight Scottish Parliamentary regions, see:
http://www.scottishgreens.org.uk/people/show/5

2. The Party's three key campaign pledges are as follows:

- No fees ever - keep tuition free
Education benefits us all, not just students, and must be based on the
ability to learn, not to pay.
For more information, see: www.scot.gr/nofees

- Fairer taxes - invest in public services
Only Greens are offering an alternative to the cuts to public
services: investment built on revenue from big business and the better
off.
For more information, see: www.scot.gr/fair

- Cut your bills - insulate every home
We would insulate every home for free, boost jobs and tackle climate change.
For more information, see: www.scot.gr/warm

3. The Greens

web: www.scot.gr
e-mail: info@scot.gr
twitter: @scotgp
facebook: www.scot.gr/fb

Contact:

Stan Blackley
Election Press Office
Scottish Green Party
Mob: 07770 742449
stan.blackley@scottishgreens.org.uk