Arrogance and hubris stalk the Scottish Green Party “like the jangling chains of Marley’s ghost”, it has been claimed.
Scottish Conservative MSP Liam Kerr levelled the accusation at the party during a debate on Scotland’s oil and gas industry.
Kerr criticised members of the Scottish Greens at Holyrood as he argued of the importance of the sector.
Scottish Green minister Patrick Harvie hit back at Kerr and told him that everlasting expansion of oil and gas extraction is not compatible with a serious response on the climate emergency.
Opening the debate at the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday, Kerr outlined the part played by the industry across the country.
“Last week, in response to someone called Alex Salmond saying that the SNP government has been dragged into student politics that would sacrifice and jeopardise the livelihoods of tens of thousands of Scots, an SNP spokeswoman said that we need to ‘get real’ on the climate emergency,” he said.
“They were both right. ‘Get real’ means acknowledging that 78% of Scotland’s total energy needs and 91% of its heating are met from oil and gas.
“Now obviously that’s fuel, and it’s also gas, which heats 24 million UK homes. It goes towards making medicines, cosmetics, plastic, cleaning products, clothes, contact lenses.”
Kerr criticised comments made by Scottish Green members over the future of the oil and has industry.
He continued: ‘Get real’ means that when Siccar Point postponed Cambo and immediately cuts 39 roles in Aberdeen, and potentially forfeit a thousand, a party of government does not respond by saying how great it is.
“Or Ross Greer stating to Shell, ‘I can’t wait until we seize your assets and prosecute your executives’.
“Or Maggie Chapman comparing the oil and gas industry, one of the most advanced industries in the world and key to our transition, to the stone age.
“Or claiming that supporting oil and gas makes one hard-right. And celebrating as tens of thousands face a Christmas fearing for their job, their livelihoods and their futures.
“Arrogance and hubris stalk the Green party like the jangling chains of Marley’s ghost.
“But like the ghost, the people of Scotland will see right through them.”
Making an intervention, Patrick Harvie told the Scottish Conservative MSP: “He can quote people out of context all he likes.
“But will he not acknowledge as a matter of fact that political parties of left-centre and centre-right, and even lifelong Conservatives like John Gummer have already ‘got real’ and recognised that everlasting expansion of oil and gas extraction is not compatible with a serious response on the climate emergency.”
Kerr accused Harvie of failing to listen.
He responded: “I’m disappointed that the minister has completely missed my point. Nobody is arguing for unlimited oil and gas.
“The minister has quite clearly failed to listen just as he failed to listen to the oil and gas industry, and indeed most of the environmental industry, telling him something different.”
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