THE Scottish Greens launched their general election manifesto today, calling for an independent republic north of the border and a green new deal.

Speaking ahead of the manifesto’s central Edinburgh launch, co-leader Patrick Harvie said there should be a “written constitution, drawn up by the people to entrench our rights and our democracy.

“The Scottish Greens are the only party calling for an independent Scottish republic, where power lies with the people rather than being handed down like a family heirloom.”

At the launch itself, the Scottish Greens, who will stand a record 44 candidates in the July 4 election, called for a £28 billion green new deal funded by taxation of the “wealthy and big polluters.”

The proposal mirrors the offer made by Labour at the 2019 general election but dropped by Sir Keir Starmer earlier this year.

Speaking at the launch, Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater argued that the cash would “turbo-charge” investment in clean energy, public transport and energy efficiency both at home and at work, insisting that the climate emergency demanded “real action from governments who are willing to deliver it.”

She continued: “The UK’s green investment is far below the US, France and Germany, for example, and has been for decades.

“Now other leading economies are at last waking up to the huge opportunity of clean, green energy and the transition to net-zero and they are investing. 

“But what has Westminster done? They’ve doubled down on fossil fuels and cut crucial spending.

“They’re even imposing a 10 per cent cut in Scotland’s capital budget. And what does Labour promise? More of the same.

“They’ve dumped their investment commitment and tied themselves to broken Tory fiscal rules.

“Under the Tories and Labour, investment has been neglected and we are being left behind.

“Only the Scottish Greens are committed to reversing this decline.”