Scottish Green Party co-leader Ross Greer has stated that a vote for the Scottish Greens would compel wealthy individuals such as Malcolm Offord to "finally start paying their fair share" towards public services. Speaking with journalists during a campaign trail in Glasgow's Kelvinbridge area on Wednesday, Mr Greer denounced Reform UK Scotland as a "toxic party".
Greer's criticism of Reform UK
Mr Greer told the Press Association: "Reform are a toxic party. They’re a party of the super-rich. That’s why they try and divide ordinary people against each other based on the colour of our skin or where we were born. They want to divide people because it draws attention away from the fact that it’s people like Lord Malcolm Offord and Nigel Farage who’ve caused so much damage to this country in the first place."
He added: "The Greens would make super-rich individuals like Lord Offord finally start paying their fair share so that we can provide the public services everybody else needs."
Addressing public anger
Mr Greer continued: "People are angry right now, but it wasn’t immigrants or asylum seekers that pushed up the cost of energy. It wasn’t immigrants or asylum seekers that pushed up the cost of food or of rent, but it was tax avoiders – it was billionaires. It was greedy landlords who did that. Those are the people funding Reform, the Greens of the movement who stand up to them. We delivered an emergency eviction ban, and we stood up against the landlord lobby."
He shared a personal note: "I have friends who have been homeless if it wasn’t for that, I know the difference that Green MSPs can make with a record number of Green MSPs elected tomorrow, we will do even more to fight for the people of Scotland and to reject the hateful, divisive politics that reform are trying to pump into this country."
Free bus travel pledge
Mr Greer said his party will seek to introduce free bus travel for all, aligning with certain European countries, thereby saving the public money. Recent polls, including a YouGov survey, suggest the Scottish Greens could achieve a record number of MSPs, potentially winning 16 seats in total.
Urging voters to keep Reform out
Mr Greer remarked: "A record number of people intend on voting Green, but we know in regions across the country, it’s going to be really tight. Many of them are going to come down to the Greens or Reform, and it’s going to be really fine margins. So if you want to keep Reform out of our parliament, minimise the influence that they’re going to have over Scottish politics, then voting for the Scottish Greens is the most powerful way to do that. We fight for ordinary people."
Reform UK Scotland was approached for comment.
