THE Scottish Greens are updating their policies for an independent Scotland ahead of expectations the First Minister will unveil plans in the coming weeks for a second referendum.
Ross Greer MSP, the party’s Europe spokesman, said a new prospectus was being worked on taking into account Brexit and the changed political circumstances since September 2014.
“Our campaigns team is going through the process now of updating our policies proposals put down ahead of the vote four years ago,” he told The National. “We are going through the process of everything we published ahead of the 2014 referendum and looking at what we need to adjust in relation to any of the potential Brexit outcomes.
“We will be ready to bring the unique Scottish Greens case to the independence campaign. We will be able to make it in the event of Brexit happening or not happening or in the event of no deal. We will again be focusing on making a positive case for independence.”
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It is understood the party is to work on new proposals for a universal basic income, on energy policy in an independent Scotland as well as what sort of banking policy the new state should have.
The development emerged a week after Greer announced the Scottish Greens supported a second independence vote whatever Brexit scenario takes place, and even if Brexit does not happen.
“In the event of a People’s Vote succeeding for Remain, there is still a mandate for an independence vote. The case for one is not just the question of the democratic deficit of Scotland being forced to leave the European Union having voted overwhelming to remain. Everything that has happened over the past two and a half years [in the Brexit process] justifies a new referendum as Scotland has been treated with contempt,” he said this month.
Patrick Harvie had requested clarification on Nicola Sturgeon's indyref2 plans
He continued: “This whole Brexit episode, this whole running crisis has shown that the British state is hugely dysfunctional and in a state of decline … The last two and a half years have shown that, regardless of outcome, and we’re still trying to avoid the Brexit outcome, the UK is not a state that Scotland should continue to be part of.
“It’s clearly not a state we will thrive as part of. In the event the whole of the UK stays in the EU, we want to make it clear that Scotland should still have the opportunity to decide on our own future.”
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The Scottish Greens were part of a wide Yes coalition which helped increase support for independence from around 28% when the plebiscite was announced in 2012 to 45% in September 2014 and was credited with helping raise support among some left-of-centre Labour supporters who may have been reluctant to back a campaign dominated by the SNP.
Greer spoke out after his party’s co-convener Patrick Harvie asked Nicola Sturgeon at First Minister’s Questions last week if she would stick to her timetable even if Brexit was delayed. She said she would.
Responding to Greer last week, a Scottish Government spokesman said: “As the First Minister has made clear, she will update the position on independence in the coming weeks – even if the Brexit timetable is prolonged by an extension of Article 50.”
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