Election / ‘Time is right for real ambition’ – Armitage tells party members during manifesto launch
A SMALL group of Green party members and potential voters gathered at room 10 at the Islesburgh Community Centre late on Saturday afternoon to hear candidate Alex Armitage launch his party’s local manifesto.
While the amount of chairs set up for the event was somewhat overambitious, the discussion that followed examining the finer detail of the 24-page leaflet was not.
Armitage presented a concise yet well-structured policy document with nine main policy areas ranging from health and care to energy, land, drugs and autonomy.
He told the meeting, attended by about a dozen folk, that a lot of work had gone into producing the local branch’s own version of the party’s national manifesto.
“These are the Green priorities put in a local context,” he said.
They include a Shetland trial of free NHS dental care, community-led housing developments, free bus and inter-island travel for passengers, majority community ownership of any new energy development, a new and locally managed regulating order to give Shetland greater control of its inshore waters out to 12 miles, and much more.
Habitat loss and the biodiversity crisis, core Green policy areas, only play a secondary role in the manifesto and that was criticised during a Q&A session.
Asked how realistic the programme was in the local context, Armitage said he felt the manifesto needed to be ambitious so that it could help build a movement.
“I think it is realistic if we can build a movement strong enough to carry these policies through,” he said.
“Part of ambition is to set the bar high and say this is what we do; there is no reason why we can’t do that and mobilise the community to demand better.”
He added: “When we have the rise of the far right, climate distraction and an economy ruled by billionaires while people are suffering, I don’t think it is the time to be defeatists. I think we need real ambition.”
The Greens are expected to increase the size of their group of seven MSPs in last Scottish Parliament to potentially 11 or 13, and could become the kingmaker should the SNP fail to win an outright majority of seats.
Should that be the case, which of the policies put forward in the local manifesto would Armitage like to be pursued in negotiations to form or tolerate a government?
“Fishing and drugs are the most important ones for me,” he responded. “If we get our fishing policies right, then that would protect Shetland’s economy for generations to come.
“Meeting the SFA [Shetland Fishermen’s Association] with [party-co-leader] Ross Greer on Friday was a real highlight, we had an extremely positive meeting,” he said, “and this work can be continued into the future.”
On drugs policy, he said: “Changing our legislation and policies on drugs has huge potential.
“There is strong evidence that this would significantly reduce harm, increase people’s life expectancy, their quality of life and reduce a huge amount state expenditure.”
Following the 2022 council elections, this was the second time the party published a local manifesto, and it was no secret during the hour-long meeting that this latest publication will also form the foundations for the party’s ambitions in the next local government elections in 2027.
The candidates standing in May’s election are, in alphabetical order: Alex Armitage (Greens), Douglas Barnett (Conservatives), Vic Currie (Reform), John Erskine (Labour), Hannah Mary Goodlad (SNP), Emma Macdonald (Liberal Democrats), Brian Nugent (Alliance to Liberate Scotland) and Peter Tait (independent).
Find out more about them via the link below:
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