Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar hits Inverness campaign trail with Highland Council hopeful Michael Gregson ahead of UK conference in Liverpool
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar made a surprise appearance in Inverness ahead of the party's UK national conference in Liverpool.
Mr Sarwar joined Scottish Labour's candidate for the Inverness Central ward - Michael Gregson - in the upcoming Highland Council by-election.
That vote takes place this Thursday, September 26, although postal voting is open now.
And ahead of the polls opening, Mr Gregson discussed policy priorities with Mr Sarwar, and also urged voters to to "choose Labour to make meaningful environmental change".
He said: “Tackling the climate and nature emergencies must go hand-in-hand with reducing social and economic inequality. The transition to net zero is an opportunity to create thousands of jobs and address these fundamental issues. Our environmental agenda is central, and we want to take people with us:
“We will grant no new oil and gas exploration licenses.
“All new developments should be compelled to aid Biodiversity.
“We are committed to improve energy efficiency in homes to C rating, under our Warm Homes Plan.
“We want to increase peatland restoration to 20,000 hectares a year.
“We want to plant at least 15,000 hectares of trees a year.
“Our Great British Energy, based in Scotland, will spearhead investment in cheap, clean, homegrown energy.
“The SNP give us warm words and slow action on the climate crisis. Across Scotland, we desperately need leadership and investment to deliver the manufacturing and jobs opportunities we need. Community wealth-building, such as through community ownership in renewable energy, demands a coherent social and economic programme.
“It’s about joined-up thinking. Consider the outrageous vandalism of the Hi-Trans e-bikes across Inverness – when only 8 bikes were usable out of 56. A good initiative with environmental benefit needs accompanying social and economic action.
"Too many of our young people see no consequences to their actions. After years of populist governments in Holyrood and London, promising much but achieving little, we need to rebuild citizenship, and strengthen communities.”
