'More to come' from Greens in Scottish Government, says Lorna Slater
The party's co-leader addressed the Scottish Green conference in Stirling
Last updated 12th Mar 2022
The Scottish Greens are "just getting started" in government, with "far more to come", party co-leader Lorna Slater has insisted.
Ms Slater, along with fellow Green co-leader Patrick Harvie, became junior ministers at Holyrood just over six months ago after their party signed a co-operation agreement with Nicola Sturgeon's SNP.
Ms Slater said that deal - which put the Greens in power for the first time anywhere in the UK - had taken the party "out of our comfort zone" but had also put them "right at the heart of the big decisions".
And she said joining the Scottish Government made the "difference between calling for something to be done and being able to directly deliver it".
An example of this includes proposals the Government is now looking at putting in legislation which would ban companies from dumping unsold goods.
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Ms Slater, the circular economy minister, recalled how she had previously pressed the First Minister on the "national disgrace of companies across Scotland destroying thousands of unsold items every week, including computer equipment, books and even face masks".
She branded that an "injustice" as she told the Scottish Green conference in Stirling: "Yesterday, I was proud to announce that we are stopping this.
"As part of a Circular Economy Bill I will take through Parliament, we aim to ban the destruction of unsold goods."
The Green minister added: "That isn't something that we could have done from the backbenches. It is the difference between opposition and government.
"It is the difference between calling for something to be done and being able to directly deliver it."
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She also said the Scotland was looking to implement a "ban on many of the worst and most damaging single-use plastics that pollute our oceans and litter our coasts" - with new polling showing 76% of people are in favour of this.
Ms Slater said: "It is a ban that is being introduced by Greens in Government, and that will be delivered by Greens in Government."
But she added: "There's far more to come. We're just getting started.
"We are doubling on-shore wind capacity, introducing at least one new national park, publishing a Circular Economy bill, delivering rent controls and so much more."
The Green co-leader stated: "I am very proud of the cooperation agreement that we negotiated, but it is not a blueprint for government, it is only a starting point."