Shetland Greens gather

THE SHETLAND Greens could become “a real force for change in the islands”, according to the Scottish Green Party’s regional co-convener Fabio Villani after a meeting in Lerwick at the weekend.

Around two dozen people turned up at Lerwick’s Clickimin centre on Sunday to meet Villani and talk about taking the Scottish Green Party forwards in the isles.

A private session with local members was followed by a public meeting, which saw a lively discussion about a wide range of issues.

Villani summed up the party’s approach as being based on “people, places, planet and peace”, suggesting:
• wealth should not be measured purely by gross domestic product,
• decision-making should be brought as close to local people as possible,
• continuous growth is not possible on a finite planet, and
• our defence system should not be geared towards the ability to attack.

He also outlined Green Party policies such as introducing a land value tax and a Citizens Income that would be paid to everyone regardless of how much they earned, simplifying the welfare system and removing the stigma of being “on the dole”.  

“We spoke about sustainability and what it truly means to meet the needs of everyone on the planet without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs,” Villani said.

“And we spoke about what Green policies are in relation to people, places, planet and peace, including some of our approaches to the economy, taxation and a fairer benefits system.

“Everyone knows that the Greens are strong on the environment, but people don’t often appreciate that we have a full set of policies to address social and economic issues as well as environmental ones.

“I was extremely heartened by the number of people who turned up to the meetings and by their depth of interest in the issues.

“So I hope the Shetland Greens will develop rapidly into a real force for change in the islands and I really look forward to supporting that.”