#SP11 Manifestos: Scottish Socialist Party

Continuing my series of posts looking at the environmental promises in the manifestos of Scotland's political parties, and the SSP immediately get brownie points for putting a cartoon on the cover!

But is that the highlight of their manifesto? Their commitments are in red, my comments in black:


GOVERNMENT

A nuclear-free Scotland that is outside of NATO

This means weapons, not energy, although they do oppose nuclear power plants too.

Mandatory ethical and workers rights provisions to be included in all public sector procurement agreements

TRANSPORT

The establishment of a Scottish national rail corporation to take over the Scotrail franchise when it expires in November 2014

The creation of ten regional, publicly-owned bus companies, accountable to local councils

They don't say what they'll do with the current deregulated private companies. I assume they'll still be allowed to prowl the streets.

Free bus, rail, underground and ferry travel within four years to cut carbon emissions, enhance social inclusion and save public money by reducing congestion, cutting road accidents and slashing the roads repair bill

Wow. And they'll pay for this how?

All money raised by government and local authorities from parking meters, and car parks to be ring-fenced for public transport.

Ah right. So give people free transport but expect to pay for it from parking meters. From the cars that people don't drive any more because there's free public transport.

Immediate free rail, bus, underground and ferry travel for all pensioners, schoolchildren, students, people with disabilities, carers and benefit claimants.

That doesn't leave a lot of people paying fares until they're abolished for all.

Re-regulation of Scotland’s buses

The establishment of a Scottish National Bus Corporation, publicly owned and democratically run by regional boards

Is this in addition to the ten regional publicly-owned companies?

A review of all new road building and upgrading, with priority given to road safety improvements and better road maintenance rather than bigger and faster road

A system of ferry pricing based on the Road Equivalent Tariff which successfully operates in Norway. This means that the cost of a ferry journey for a bus, lorry or car and occupants should be no more than the cost of a road journey over the same distance.

There's a successful pilot scheme running of this in the Western Isles at the moment. I think it should be extended to rail fares, too!

Expansion of the provision of low-cost park-and-ride schemes to reduce congestion in major towns and city centres

A national cycle strategy worked out with cycling organisations to develop an extensive network of safe, well-maintained and well-lit cycle tracks; and high quality cycle training for all primary 6/7 pupils

Do kids not get cycle training in school any more? I'm out of touch with the education system.

The phasing in of alternative fuels (e.g. electric motors, H fuel cells) for public service vehicles

Special road tolls for heavy goods vehicles, based on annual mileage as registered on tacographs

A shift of heavy goods from road to rail wherever feasible, facilitated by the building of new dedicated freight lines

I'd rather have new high-speed passenger lines taking trains off the more congested lines that would allow more freight trains.

The cancellation of all airport expansion projects

Increased taxation on aviation fuel, with revenue used to improve high-speed rail and ferry links between Scotland and mainland Europe

ENERGY

The establishment of a democratically run Scottish National Oil Corporation to take over the North Sea oilfields, with the profits used for public investment, including in renewable energy

The replacement of overhead pylons with underground cables where environmentally beneficial

Who decides what is "environmentally beneficial"? Does this mean that if the scenery is nice enough you bury the cables, or does it mean that in cities and towns you bury them?

Resistance to the building of any new nuclear power plants in Scotland, and the setting of a clear timetable for the decommissioning of existing nuclear power stations.

FOOD

The establishment of a network of community-run supermarkets specialising in healthy local produce at the cheapest possible retail prices, starting with areas of high deprivation

They're obviously taken with the 'People's Supermarket' concept.

A ban on the advertising of junk food

Government grants to enable small farmers to establish farming co-operatives, where they can agree prices for produce and thus resist the power of supermarkets to drive down prices

Government grants for local food cooperatives, selling local produce in town centres, villages and housing schemes at reasonable prices

Grants and assistance to help farmers convert to organic farming

The expansion of the number of allotments in Scotland and the protection of existing allotments from the infringement of developers

An end to battery farming, factory farming and other forms of intensive farming

ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE

An independent audit commission, to enforce Scottish climate emissions targets of at least three per cent a year

The tightening of building regulations to compel construction companies to use sustainable sources for their construction materials and to ensure that energy efficiency is built into the design of buildings and appliances fitted

Every new building, including private homes, to be carbon neutral by 2016

100 per cent grants, available to all, for insulation and double-glazing in private homes.

Why not just copy the Green's universal insulation scheme?

All rented housing to have compulsory insulation and double-glazing

The protection by law of ancient forests

A reduction in urban traffic by extending pedestrianisation of town and city centres and halting all further development of out-of-town shopping malls.

A conservation scheme to protect wildlife habitats and parkland from industrial development

Environmental education to be incorporated into the curriculum of primary, secondary, further and higher education.

When I was at school, this subject was known as 'Geography'.

Kerbside collection of materials for recycling, including glass, from every household in Scotland

Recycling bins in every public building and workplace

I think there's very few places that don't at least have a paper recycling bin in the office these days.

All suppliers of goods to the public sector to be legally required to use biodegradable and recyclable packaging.

A ban on any release of genetically modified organisms into the environment and effective testing of food and animal feed imports from countries which do grow GM crops to ensure that food and feed imports are not contaminated

A ban on the sale of GM food products

This is the first mention of GM from any of the parties. Either the Conservatives, Labour and the LibDems didn't think it was an important issue, or they reckon they can get away with welcoming the big agribusiness companies into Scotland.

Public contracts to be refused to any company with a record of dangerous work practices or polluting the environment.

No new incinerators

Serious waste reduction targets to be set for every local authority area, backed by whatever resources are necessary to deliver these targets

[We will campaign for] an international 90 per cent reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide by the year 2030 together with significant reductions of other greenhouse gas emissions

Legislation making it illegal to own, as well as to import, illegally logged timber

As much as I like the sound of that, I don't think it's feasible. Where does the wood from your coffee table come from? No, I've no idea either.

The establishment of elected anti-pollution boards at national and local level to monitor and enforce pollution controls, and for these boards to have the power to impose penalties

Isn't this what SEPA does?

Full support for the ban on foxhunting and resistance to any future moves to water down the legislation

A ban on the abuse of animals in entertainment and sport

A ban on animal testing for cosmetics, household products and military research

As there should be!

OVERALL

The SSP manifesto reads more like a magazine, except for the policy section. Some of it is idealistic and some of it is grounded and sensible, but as you would expect from the SSP there's not a lot of crossover between their policies and the other, bigger parties.