Voters' views: Duncan King

MEET THE PANEL Name: Duncan King Age: 32 Lives: Edinburgh Job: Computer programmer Current voting intention: Scottish Green Party

I am a supporter of the Scottish Green Party because I believe that they offer a genuine political alternative.

Only the Greens seem to offer a consistent commitment to the core principles of economic, environmental and social justice that I believe should be at the heart of politics.

While the other "mainstream" parties may make bold pronouncements on the environment, or a supposedly "ethical" foreign policy, their actions never really seem to match their words.

I think the performance of the Scottish Green Party MSPs in Holyrood has been exemplary, and I would love to see what they could achieve in Westminster.

I expect that we will be hearing a great deal of talk about "crime" and "national security" in this election campaign.

VOTERS' PANEL INTRODUCTIONS Jim Monaghan Michael Marley David Hamilton Stephen Edenborough Jennifer Mackay Bob Crozier Michelle Hunt Duncan King Olivia Drennan Keith Brockie George Whillans

Unfortunately, none of the major parties seem to be really serious about addressing the underlying issues of social and economic justice that are essential for genuine security and stability.

There will be no real discussion of reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, or of our looming transport crisis, and certainly no discussion of the brutal realities of foreign policy.

What we will get is a lot of noise about "immigration" and how ministers need to assume judicial powers to fight "terrorism", while New Labour and the Tories play catch-up in an endless slide to the right. I'm not looking forward to it.

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The Scottish Socialsts also offer consistent commitment to the core principles of economic, environmental and social justice. The Greens have been seduced by parliamentary process and focus the majority of their energies there. Their environmental policies often fall short of what will really make waves. They fail to understand that small, radical parties will make only limited headway in a parliamentary system created by and for mainstream, pro-establishment political parties. The answer, the future, is on the streets and in the communities - precisely where you'll find the SSP. You have to be red to be green!
Sid, Glasgow, Scotland

As a Glasgow voter I pay good money to be represented in parliament and I am pleased the Greens take the parliament seriously, unlike the SSP who take the cash then try to get thrown out at any opportunity. The SSP have also demonstrated that their 'environmental' credentials extend only as far as the next vote - who can forget the SSP's Colin Fox standing shoulder to shoulder with the Tories over congestion charging!
William, Glasgow

One good reason why not to vote Green. The Greens support wind farms. This is despite the obvious damage these massive turbines have done to our landscape and the lessons from Germany and Denmark - wind power is inefficient and costly. I used my second vote for the Greens in the last Scottish election; as a true lover of our environment, I regret it now.
Neil MacLeod, Carnoustie, Scotland

In the unfair electoral system we've got for Westminster, a Green vote is a wasted vote. I'll be voting tactically for the party most likely to win and deliver a fair voting system. In my case (Edinburgh South) that's Lib Dem.
Ian Sly, Edinburgh

If we're talking about betraying the environment, let's look no further than the Lib Dems. As a Glasgow resident faced with the M74 bulldozing its way past the end of my road, watching the Lib Dem transport minister deny the findings of the executive's own inquiry made me sick. But it's always the same with the Lib Dems, whether it's congestion charging or civil liberties. Principles are sacrificed for a sniff of power. You need a party that is prepared to engage with the democratic process and stand up for the environment and human rights. That's the Greens.
Ian, E. Pollokshields, Glasgow

"The Greens support windfarms"? That is one way of putting it, but not after you have actually read their policies on the subject. The Greens support appropriate renewable energy coupled with energy efficiency - if we didn't use so much, we wouldn't need to produce so much! The Greens have called for an end to the dash towards windfarms because there are many other ways of producing energy cleanly and cheaply than massive great big wind mills everywhere. Sure, windmills have their place in the energy mix, but the Scottish Greens have condemned the Scottish Executive for the way it has handled the dozens of applications for windfarms all across the country, most of which get turned down. But for those who are totally against windmills in principle - how would you generate energy once the oil, coal and gas has gone? Nuclear maybe, but only if you are prepared to either have it subsidised by the taxpayer to the tune of billions, or see the cost of electricity rocket. Not even Mrs Thatcher tried to privatise that industry - she knew fine well that without massive state subsidies, there would be no nuclear power. And why are there so many applications to build wind farms? Because the technology is tried and tested - it works, it's cheap, it's clean, and windmills can stand in fields with cows grazing beneath and the tourists love them! The Greens want a sane energy policy. (Oh, and by the way - the Lib Dems voted against a bill to introduce PR in the first sitting of the Scottish Parliament!).
Andy T, Edinburgh

As a longstanding member of the Greens, the Liberal Democrats are just about the last party I'd vote for - welcoming GM crops, campaigning against congestion charging in Edinburgh, building motorways at £100m per mile and now Charles Kennedy jetting around the country in a plane - is there no end to the hypocrisy of the Lib Dems on green issues? As happened in the European elections of 1989, a strong Green vote, even if it does fall short of delivering elected politicians, is the single best way of ensuring that all parties pay more than lip service to green ideas.
Gavin Corbett, Edinburgh

As a nineteen year old politics and economics student, I struggle to understand why anyone would vote anything but Green. The Greens are the only party who recognise the basic laws of physics - that resources on earth are limited. By the time I am 70, The UN predicts 2.4 billion people will have starved to death because of climate change. Previous generations have sold my future. Labour, the Lib Dems, the SNP, the Tories and the Scottish Socialists all work with economic models which assume that continually increasing use of finite resources is a good thing. Enough with their barmy ideology. Time for some pragmatic politicians who understand that there are limits on growth. Time to go Green.
Adam Ramsay, Edinburgh, Scotland

It's difficult to decide who to vote for. In the Holyrood elections I voted for Adam Lyal's Witchery Tour Party, as I wanted to give a small party a chance. However, as far as I can see, this party isn't running in the Westminster elections. I just hope the turn-out will be reasonable, and a few independents get in. As far as my vote - I think I'll decide on the 5th May.
Derek Stores, Edinburgh

As someone who is convinced we need a sensible mix of renewable energy combined with energy conservation, voting Green would be a sensible course, but not whilst they support the wholesale rape of some of our most beautiful scenery and precious habitats. I notice this panel does not include people from the Highlands and Islands - some of the areas worst affected by these schemes. Andy T needs to check his facts - nearly one quarter of people won't come back to a wind farm area.
Jenny, Mull

Jenny needs to check Green Party policy. The Greens understand that there are some places that shouldn't have wind farms - like Scarba. As a result, they support a national strategy for wind farms, where companies would compete for planning permission, where local people would help decide where the windfarms were built, and where they would see real financial benefit from the resulting appropriately scaled wind farms. As someone else from the highlands and islands, I will certainly vote Green.
Sophie, Argyll

The Greens policy on citizens income seems to make a lot of sense to me. I am currently unemployed. Whenever a job comes up, I loose my benefits if I take it, but don't earn enough to make up for it. The Greens plan is to give everyone a basic wage, and gradually tax it off them as they earn more. This way, when I start work, I won't loose all my benefits straight away. Apparently it also means that the government will save loads of money in administration because the system is so simple.
George, Perthshire