23-10-2025

Month: March 2022

The Scottish Greens have targeted a “fundamental” reform of the country’s energy system to ease fuel poverty and reliance on fossil fuels.

Co-leader Patrick Harvie told the Green conference in Stirling that funding would be targeted at insulating homes and people struggling with their bills.

The party has now been in partnership government with the SNP for six months.

Mr Harvie said the war in Ukraine and sanctions on Russia underlined the need to reduce reliance on oil and gas.

Co-leader Lorna Slater said there was “far more to come” from the Greens in government, with policies aimed at boosting wind farm capacity and recycling.

Both leaders also focused their speeches on the war in Ukraine, with Mr Harvie saying it was vital that words of solidarity translated into real action.

And Ms Slater called for barriers to refugees entering the UK to be dropped, saying: “Let them in. No excuses, no obstacles, no delays. Let them in now.”

The UK government is due to set out details of a scheme which will allow people to welcome Ukrainians fleeing the conflict into their homes next week.

The two leaders are both ministers in Nicola Sturgeon’s government, courtesy of the co-operation agreement the Greens and SNP signed six months ago.

They set out policies they aim to bring to fruition in the coming months and years, with Mr Harvie saying his party’s policies could help “make us safer from environmental collapse, from geopolitical threats, and from the volatility of energy costs”.

He said Scotland must be insulated against the cold, but also against “the blight of fuel poverty and against reliance on turbulent fossil fuel markets which bloat brutal regimes and destroy our planet”.

Mr Harvie highlighted funding for fuel poverty schemes and efforts to improve energy efficiency, but also called for longer-term changes.

He said: “Our energy system needs to be transformed. The real answer to fuel poverty and energy insecurity lies in more fundamental reform – how energy is provided and how our homes, workplaces and community buildings are heated and powered.”

Meanwhile, Ms Slater has announced that the government will bring forward a Circular Economy Bill which would ban shops from destroying unsold goods.

She said: “That isn’t something that we could have done from the backbenches. It is the difference between opposition and government.

“It is the difference between calling for something to be done and being able to directly deliver it.”

The only person to benefit from Boris Johnson being removed from office would be Vladimir Putin, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives has claimed.

Douglas Ross was speaking for the first time after withdrawing his call for the PM to quit over Downing Street parties.

Mr Ross said the row over the lockdown parties now seemed trivial in comparison to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

And he said now would be “totally the wrong time” to change leader.

He acknowledged that there would continue to be personal differences between himself and Mr Johnson, but said his position on the prime minister’s leadership during the Ukraine crisis was very similar to that of Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

Mr Ross said: “Now is not the time to try and replace a prime minister – now is the time for unity.

“The only person who would gain from the removal of a UK prime minister from office would be Vladimir Putin.”

Mr Ross warned that the Russian president would use any signs of division as a “wedge” to drive between the forces that are trying to stop him.

The Scottish Conservative leader had written to the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs in January to express his lack of confidence in Mr Johnson and to call for a leadership contest.

Mr Ross described the prime minister’s position at the time as “untenable” after he admitted attending a Downing Street party during the Covid lockdown.

But he announced on Thursday that he had formally withdrawn his letter to the committee, with the party also confirming that Mr Johnson would appear in person at the Scottish Conservative conference next weekend.

Mr Ross said he “had confidence in the prime minister to deal with this situation at the moment”, and that “everything else seems trivial” in comparison to the horrific scenes from Ukraine.

He added: “That is why I think our focus should be on supporting and helping the people of Ukraine, not on personal differences we may have with each other here in the UK.”

Other parties were critical of Mr Ross for withdrawing his call for the PM to go, with Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar saying Mr Ross “should not be using the Ukraine crisis to go back on his principles” and Lib Dem MSP Willie Rennie saying the Tory leader had “the backbone of a jellyfish”.

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said it was “an utterly humiliating u-turn for Douglas Ross”.

But Mr Ross said he did not care about criticisms from other parties, and that the SNP had also been calling for unity just a few days ago.

He added: “They were standing up in the House of Commons saying we should work together, we should support the government because the threat is not here in the UK or between different political parties or the prime minister and the opposition.

“It is between the western world, Europe and allies across the globe and Russia – Vladimir Putin.

“That is the biggest threat at the moment, and that’s what our efforts should be united in trying to defeat.”

Scotland’s first minister and her Welsh counterpart have proposed that both countries become “super sponsors” to Ukranian refugees fleeing the war.

Nicola Sturgeon and Mark Drakeford have written to the UK government to confirm their commitment in contributing to its community sponsorship scheme.

But Scotland and Wales have offered to step further to support refugees by acting as super sponsors.

It is hoped this would allow Ukrainians to come to the two countries faster.

The idea would be to get them into temporary accommodation immediately and then work with local partners to provide longer-term places to stay, including with host individuals, and give them access to safeguarding and services.

Details of the UK government’s community sponsorship scheme are to be released on Monday. It is expected that Ukrainians will be able to apply to come to the UK if they have been matched with a sponsor who will provide accommodation.

‘No cap on refugee numbers’

In a joint letter to Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove, Ms Sturgeon and Mr Drakeford have emphasised that the government must provide more clarity on how the scheme will work.

The letter makes clear that no cap will be set by Scotland and Wales on the numbers of refugees they will welcome.

Scotland has made an immediate commitment to support 3,000 refugees in the initial wave, in line with the numbers that were resettled under the Syrian scheme. Wales would take 1,000.

The Scottish government said it would welcome “at least” a proportionate share of the total number who come to the UK.

The letter also says it is essential that all arrivals have access to public funds, including welfare benefits, and are exempted from the Habitual Residence Test for accessing these.

The first ministers also call for urgent clarity on funding arrangements to support local government and they have suggested a “per head” funding arrangement similar to the Syrian and Afghanistan schemes to support resettlement and integration costs.

Finally, the letter calls for all visa requirements for Ukrainian nationals to be waived.

‘Play our full part’

Nicola Sturgeon said: “I want Scotland to play our full part in welcoming Ukrainians seeking sanctuary from war. The UK response so far has been beset with bureaucracy and red tape, when what is needed is humanity and urgent refuge for as many as possible.

“We are still awaiting full details of the proposed community sponsorship scheme. If the UK government is still unwilling to waive visa requirements, it is essential that this scheme works efficiently and effectively and allows people to come to the UK as quickly as possible.

“However, I am very worried that if people have to be matched with an individual sponsor before even being allowed entry to the UK, it will prove slow and cumbersome.”

She said that super sponsorship would allow large numbers to come to the respective nations quickly and that she would be able to welcome Ukrainians to Scotland as soon as possible.

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