THERE can’t be many folk who voted for the Scottish Green Party who aren’t mystified or disappointed by the recent priorities of its list MSPs. But what exactly should the electorate expect of them? Here are some suggestions. Accept that Scotland’s contribution to global emissions is under 0.
1% so any significant changes we might achieve are unmeasurable. Concentrate on issues that directly affect the people of Scotland rather than grandstand on headline-grabbing strategies such as "net zero" and "the circular economy" that aren’t deliverable. Recognise that Sepa isn’t delivering the service that was originally expected of it in 1996.
Water quality has deteriorated, and around 20% of Scotland’s waste is now handled by illegal operators. Sepa needs to be reduced to a rump (equivalent to the former HMIPI and the Hazardous Waste Unit); its waste regulatory powers transferred to the unitary councils; and the former river purification boards reinstated. Sepa’s role should solely be one of performance-auditing.
Accept that Keep Scotland Beautiful seems incapable of influencing the public’s attitude to dropping litter despite employing six times the staff it had four decades ago. Redeploy most of its staff among the councils to deliver local litter awareness strategies and retain the rump for a monitoring role. READ MORE: Buffer zone bill is an attack on the Christian minority READ MORE: Using private healthcare makes things worse for others Reinvigorate the Code of .
