Scottish Greens call for 'renewed local democracy'
BBC NEWS SCOTLAND 11 MARCH 2017

Patrick Harvie has called for "renewed local democracy in Scotland" as he said the Scottish Greens were ready for success in May's council elections.


Mr Harvie told the party conference in Glasgow that council services played a crucial role in people's lives.

But he said the election was a choice between starving those services of funds, or investing in them.

The Scottish Greens are to field more than 200 candidates in the election, a record for the party.

Mr Harvie, the party's co-convener, told delegates at the Maryhill Burgh Halls that Scottish Green candidates would be standing for "investment in our local services, for the building of strong local economies, and for a renewed local democracy that puts power in people's hands."

Strongest criticism

He said London mayor Sadiq Khan, who was last month accused of drawing parallels between Scottish nationalism and racism, had "insulted the very voters that Scottish Labour has lost, and should be trying to win back".

Mr Harvie fired a warning at the SNP, who he said "need to recognise that our councils matter, our public services matter", adding that it "took Greens to force them to reverse huge cuts to council budgets, and it will still take Greens to make the case for the strong, democratic local government Scotland needs".

But his strongest criticism was reserved for the Conservatives, who Mr Harvie said were attempting to turn the council elections into a "constitutional debate" on independence.

more.... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...itics-39235954