Scotland: Green politics

David Eyre
Political Journalist, Politics Show Scotland

This weekend the Scottish Greens hold their first conference since their mould breaking performance in May's Scottish Parliament elections.

Make biotech companies financially liable for contamination of non-GM crops

The party is in buoyant mood after they increased their team of MSPs from one ... the ebullient, rainbow scarf clad figure of Robin Harper ... to seven.

Now, they are working hard to persuade the people of Scotland that their Green votes will make a difference to Scottish politics.

Social policies

The conference message will be that the Greens are the conscience of the Scottish Parliament ... not just on environmental issues, but on social issues like same-sex partnerships and tackling poverty.

And they will be trying their best to show that they are making a difference.

Green's big issue

One Green initiative sure to be touted widely is MSP Mark Ruskell's proposed bill to make biotech companies financially liable for any contamination of non-GM crops or reduction in biodiversity that occurs as a result of growing Genetically Modified crops in Scotland.

Evidence against GM is overwhelming?

They point to recent evaluations of the Government's Farm Scale trials which showed that some GM crops have a bad impact on biodiversity ... the number of different insects and plants that live nearby.

GM was high on the agenda of the September meeting of EU agricultural ministers in Brussels.

A decision on the EU-wide commercialisation of GM is expected soon. Anti-GM campaigners fear it is going to be rubber-stamped.

Greens protest against GM

The Greens say the only way to stop the spread of GM is to hit the multinational biotech companies where it hurts ... in their pockets!

They want an extension of the principle that the polluter should pay.

Biotech companies who knew they could be faced with hefty compensation bills would think twice before allowing their GM crops to be grown commercially.

But is the Greens' bill workable, and will it help persuade Scots that they are a Party worthy of support?

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