Anyway, on with the green pledges. At 98 pages, this manifesto is the largest yet but thankfully, unlike the dull-as-ditchwater LibDem one, it has a few pictures to break up the monotony.
Manifesto commitments are in red, my comments in black.
ECONOMY
We need to seize the opportunities of the new green economy and will therefore prioritise the creation of green jobs in renewable technologies – aiming for up to 60,000 by 2015 – by making the planning system more efficient and seeking to develop export opportunities.
We will also work to attract at least £1.5 billion of investment from the Green Investment Bank and campaign to ensure the bank is headquartered in Scotland.
Scottish Labour is committed to delivering fairer, greener and more ethical procurement.
ENERGY
Scottish Labour will encourage future prosperity by ensuring Scotland is a net exporter of energy and will work to improve grid connections between Scotland and the rest of the UK and Europe to capitalise on this opportunity.
We will set up Energy Scotland to drive forward Scotland as a world leader in the low carbon sector. Scottish Labour supports the ambitious target of ensuring that 80 per cent of our energy comes from renewables by 2020 and is committed to a Green New Deal, which will provide renewable electricity generation opportunities to at least 10,000 homes
We will encourage the development of marine technology by doubling the value of the Saltire prize to £20 million.
So I was wrong yesterday when I speculated that the LibDems would be the only party other than the SNP to mention the Saltire Prize. After mocking it in the past (although, to be fair, they only mocked the government's delivery of it, not the actual prize) Labour have decided to double it. Can't complain about that!
Any application for consent to new nuclear capacity will be considered on its merits, in terms of safety, environmental impact, the local community and other planning considerations.
I can, however, complain about this! Despite the ongoing disaster at Fukushima and in the face of all opinion polls, Iain Gray seems wedded to new nuclear power stations. It would have been incredibly easy for them to fudge this and not mention nuclear in the manifesto at all, but they decided to stick their neck out and include it. Or is it something they've included just so they can appear to drop it in any forthcoming coalition negotiations?
We will not consent to new, non-replacement fossil fuel power stations unless they can demonstrate effective carbon capture and storage technology from the outset
That's clear and easy enough then - the technology doesn't work so no new coal!
Oh, hang on, you said non-replacement. So you'll quite happily see new fossil fuel power stations to replace the current ones? And without CCS too?
You nearly got me there!
We will work with local authorities, energy companies, housing associations and local communities to develop heat and power schemes that can help provide warmer homes and lower fuel bills
We will review the effectiveness of the Energy Assistance Package and the Home Insulation Scheme. We will also look at ways of helping people access newer, more efficient boilers and supporting a programme of sustainable home insulation
No free insulation for all, but a "review" of the scheme.
We will ft at least 10,000 homes with community and household renewables, such as solar panels and community heat and power schemes.
we will seek to expedite applications for new renewable energy developments within nine months of them being lodged.
We will also require local authorities to produce heat maps, to assist in the identifcation of potential community and public renewable heat schemes.
This seems to be a popular promise this year!
TRANSPORT
We are also committed to finding finance to complete the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, the M8 Baillieston to Newhouse upgrade, the M74 Raith Interchange, and to deliver improvements to the M8, M73 and M74. We also aim to prepare a programme of continuous improvements to the A82, A1, A9, A77, A75, A95 and A96.
Build Roads! Everyone likes roads!
We will deliver the new Forth Replacement Crossing. We will deliver on our commitment to empower the public to choose the name of the new bridge
How about "Unnecessary White Elephant"?
We will be advocates of high-speed rail links to London and Europe and will seek to future-proof Scotland’s network to ensure this is a possibility. Our ambition is to see direct services from Scotland to Paris and Brussels
That'll be the direct services which Eurostar promised but Labour killed off in the late 90s?
Scottish Labour will take forward the Edinburgh/Glasgow Rail Improvement Project (EGIP), including seeking to improve journey times between Glasgow and Edinburgh to under 40 minutes
For a train, 4o minutes to go 45 miles is close to scandalous! We should be far more ambitious than this in the 21st Century. Where's the commitment to a proper high-speed intercity line in Scotland?
We will consider all options for the Scotrail franchise, including public and not for profit models
Aha! That's more like it!
We will reinstate plans for the Glasgow Airport Rail Link
We will support the modernisation of Glasgow’s subway and will campaign to ensure that any changes to the East Coast Main Line do not disadvantage Lanarkshire – Edinburgh commuters. We will seek to progress the expansion of through-ticketing in Scotland.
Scottish Labour will set up an Air Route Marketing Fund to support new, direct air routes to Scotland
Quite how marketing for new air routes squares with emissions reductions targets I've no idea. And, I suspect, neither do Labour.
Scottish Labour will make the Road Equivalent Tariff pilot permanent in the Western Isles and will widen coverage to ferry services to the Clyde and the Argyll isles
We will work with the current ferry operator, with an ambition to reinstate a passenger service between Rosyth and Zeebrugge
We will improve the Green Bus Fund to help local authorities and transport providers purchase greener, hybrid buses. The Fund should also be directed to ensure the current bus feet meets a higher environmental grade.
Scottish Labour will phase out diesel and petrol cars for government use, including ministerial cars, and replace them with greener hybrid or electric vehicles. We also need to invest in new infrastructure for electric vehicles, with an ambitious target for 10,000 electric charging points by 2015
ENVIRONMENT
We will continue to develop the Central Scotland Green Network, with a focus on opportunities to promote environmental volunteering and training for young people.
we will maintain funding for the Climate Challenge Fund and will increase its effectiveness
we have an ambition to move towards a zero waste Scotland. We will consider the role council tax incentives could have in achieving this and will introduce a series of gradually phased-in bans on recyclable and biodegradable material going to landfll. We also aim to introduce ‘recycling on the go’, with separated recycling bins on streets and in shopping centres.
This sounds good, although I always think 'incinerator' when I hear politicians talking about zero-waste strategies. Given that incinerators weren't mentioned in the energy chapter of the manifesto I'll take them at their word.
We will support new allotments and community gardens
Scottish Labour will explore the possibilities for restoring Scotland’s peat lands and will continue to support new tree planting
We will only purchase wood and wood-fbre based products from sources which are legal and sustainable
We will develop a pilot measure of sustainable development, complimentary to GDP.
Measuring a country's worth by GDP is quite ludicrous when you look at it closely. How about replacing it completely, rather than running a new measure alongside it?
We will seek to ban snaring, following a consultation on the issue
Why do you need to consult? Just ban the hideous practice!
To support our rural communities, Scottish Labour will lobby the UK Government to reverse the VAT rise on fuel
Again, I'm failing to see how this will tie in with emissions reductions. Instead of trying to lower the cost of fuel, they should be pledging to help rural communities lower their use of fuel.
OVERALL
Despite giving a whole chapter over to "A Greener Scotland", a lot of the pledges in the manifesto were repeated time and time again. There's also a few moments which make you think that Labour still don't get green issues - for example the above campaign to lower fuel costs rather than reduce fuel use. Or how about this, under the heading 'Greener, Cleaner Energy': "We will support the continuing contribution of the ofshore oil and gas industry to our economy".
Unfortunately for Labour, there's nothing that really stands out for me and there's no new thinking.
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