SCOTLAND can be an independent country that opens it doors to refugees and lead Europe's transition away from fossil fuels, Lorna Slater told the Scottish Greens conference as she launched a fierce attack on Boris Johnson.
Addressing members in Stirling this morning, she pointed to Scotland having a quarter of the continent’s offshore renewable potential as a route to “a Scotland that leads our continent as we move on from Putin and his fossil fuels.”
The move comes as the UK Government are ramping up North Sea gas production in the wake of the war in Ukraine and fears over energy security.
Ms Slater slammed the UK Government’s record on providing assistance to Ukrainian refugees comparing how Scots in Kenmure Street, Glasgow, had helped to stop Home Office deportations of asylum seekers in May 2021.
The community in Kenmure Street, Pollokshields, Glasgow, pictured stopping Home Office deportations in May 2021. Photo Andrew Milligan/PA.
“We can build a fairer, greener and independent Scotland that stands proudly at the heart of Europe and offers safety and solidarity to refugees. We can be the Scotland of Kenmure Street, not Downing Street," she said.
“We in Scotland want to stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. We want to welcome those who need sanctuary into our homes, but instead our doors have been slammed shut by a UK Government that is singularly failing to step up to its humanitarian responsibilities.
READ MORE: Plans to hold independence vote to be unveiled imminently, says Patrick Harvie
“Every day of inaction will make a terrible situation worse. My message to Boris Johnson and Priti Patel is to stop putting paperwork and bureaucracy ahead of the peoples lives. Stop putting it ahead of women and children who are running terrified from the devastation of war.
“Let them in. No excuses, no obstacles, no delays. Let them in now.”
Ms Slater said she was "very proud" of the cooperation agreement that the Scottish Greens negotiated with the SNP six months ago which saw her party enter government for the first time anywhere in the UK.
She said a more equal Scotland was being built as a result of being in government citing plans to reform the Gender Recognition Act in the face of "the most reactionary campaigns of misinformation that I can remember".
Ms Slater, who is minister for green skills, biodiversity and circular economy, told the party faithful that the biggest challenges "don’t come from the Scottish Government or even the parliament. Many of them come from Westminster".
She added: "Boris Johnson and his colleagues don’t want to see us succeed. They would much rather that we sat back and let them get on with it.
READ MORE: SNP and Greens to draw up joint independence plans for 2023 referendum
"Their government is one that went to the High Court to block us from applying the UN rights of a child. Their government is one that promotes austerity and cuts while using the internal market bill to hamper, delay and block progress.
"They can’t be trusted to do the right thing for people or the planet.
"They are cutting universal credit while raising household bills and unleashing a cost of living crisis. They are taking the rug from under people while leaving devolved governments to pick up the pieces.
"They talk about ‘levelling up’ Britain while implementing a punishing Brexit that Scotland rejected. They are talking tough about sanctions on Russia despite being bankrolled by oligarchs. They are waving Ukrainian flags when they should be waiving visa restrictions.
"This is not a government that I want to run Scotland. We can do so much better than this.We can be a democratic and independent nation that uses its influence to champion human rights."
READ MORE: North Sea gas to significantly ramp up production in wake of war in Ukraine
The Scottish Government intend to hold an independence referendum next year and take Scotland into the EU.
However, Mr Johnson has refused to agree to a new vote with Scottish ministers promising to hold Indyref2 using devolved powers.
Speaking to The Herald yesterday the Scottish Greens' co leader Patrick Harvie said that legislation to hold the referendum is to be introduced into the Scottish Parliament imminently.
Mr Harvie, who is also a minister in the Scottish Government, underlined that it was still the administration's plan to hold the vote on the planned timetable despite the invasion of Ukraine.
Asked by The Herald when the bill will laid before MSPs, he said: "I think there will be an announcement on that before too long. I don't think a date has absolutely been fixed.
"There are one or two hoops the Scottish Government has to jump through before formally laying a bill like submitting it to the Presiding Officer.
"But the bill itself will be fairly short and simple actually as the last parliament already passed framework legislation for referendums.
"So we don't actually need a big and substantive a bill as we had for the last one because we already have all of that framework legislation in place.
"So you will hear before very long what the timescale is for that but it will be fully in line with the intention to hold an independence referendum in the timescale that we promised."
Scottish Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport Liam Kerr hit back at Ms Slater's arguments on fossil fuels.
He said: “Lorna Slater’s simplistic and ill-informed views on energy generation will do little to improve both her and the SNP-Green coalition’s already floundering credibility.
“Once again, she has emphasised her reckless and irresponsible attitude towards Scotland’s oil and gas industry.
“She has no remorse in wanting to shut down the sector and consign thousands of jobs to the scrap heap.
“Energy prices are at a record high and now more than ever we should be using our own sources, rather than relying on importing from countries with lower environmental standards or unpalatable regimes.
“The Scottish Conservatives will not let party politics stand in the way of a fair transition – we will continue to work with the UK Government and their £16 billion North Sea Transition Deal to secure the livelihoods of oil and gas workers.”
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