Scottish Parliamentary Elections

The Scottish Parliament elections are on 3 May. Issues raised in the Conservative, Green, Labour, Liberal Democrat, Scottish Socialist Party and Scottish National Party manifesto pledges relevant to ecology are:

Science funding and education: Labour and the SNP pledge measures to boost the life sciences and offer measures to promote science in schools. The Greens specifically support outdoor education and funding to promote it.

Environment: Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats have promised 60% reductions in CO2 by 2050, the SNP and Scottish Socialists have pledged 3% cuts per annum and the Greens want an annual cut of 4.5%. The Liberal Democrats promise to stop the loss of biodiversity by 2010, preserve peatlands and create a marine park. Labour also favour a marine park and moot reintroductions, giving beaver as an example. The Greens pledge more funding for biodiversity conservation, a program of ecological restoration and marine parks. The SNP and the Conservatives have pledged to place fishermen’s interests at the centre of their marine strategy.