Co-leaders Gillian Mackay and Ross Greer made several announcements at the Scottish Greens spring conference on Saturday.
Both leaders were optimistic about their party’s chances in the upcoming elections in May 2026.
Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland announced that the party hit a record number of members this year with over 9,500 members.
Free bus travel for everyone in Scotland
Ross Greer, MSP for the West of Scotland, announced proposals for free bus travel for all.
This would be funded by higher taxes on the super rich and corporations.
This comes after the free bus travel for under 22s scheme, a Scottish Greens policy which was first launched in 2022 and has been highly utilised by Scotland’s young people.
Greer said: “Free bus travel for young people has been such a success that we want it to go further.
“Our manifesto will commit to delivering free bus travel for everyone in Scotland.
“We will brind to an end the four decades of failure that is the privitisation of the bust network.”
New tax on the super rich and big corporations
Greer also announces plans to bring higher taxes on the super rich and large businesses which would help fund schemes such as the free bus travel.
The Scottish Greens manifesto is to include proposals to introduce new taxes on “online retail warehouses”, such as Amazon.
The party is also proposing an extra rate on large banks such as Barclays and JP Morgan, pointing towards the fact that they have “huge offices” in Glasgow.
Greer also announced a charge on “casinos and bookies” which he said are “often exploiting the most vulnerable people in our communities”.
Expansion of funded childcare
Gillian Mackay said the party would extend the current funded childcare hours to all children in Scotland from the week after they turn two.
Mackay pledged this Greens policy would be the largest expansion of funded childcare for a generation.
She announced that extending the current funded childcare hours would mean a funded place for 43,000 more children in Scotland.
The proposals also include 570 hours of funded childcare for all children in Scotland from the age of six months to two years by the end of next parliament.
She said the move by the Scottish Greens would result in “more children learning, more parents back at work, and more money in families’ pockets.”
Gillian added: “Too many are being saddled with nursery fees that cost more than the mortgage.
“Too many cutting back on essentials and having their choices made for them, rather than having the independence that comes with a fairer system.
“That’s why, at this election, the Scottish Greens are proposing the biggest expansion of funded childcare for a generation.”
Upcoming Scottish election
Addressing her first conference as Scottish Greens co-leader, Mackay stressed that there is only a short while until the next election saying: “We have 75 days to change Scotland.
“Only 75 days to build a fairer, greener and better Scotland.
“I don’t want us to be a country where thousands of children are growing up in totally avoidable poverty where hunger is a part of so many daily lives.”
She carried on to discuss the party’s previous achievements reiterating the success of the free bus travel for under 22s scheme and mentioned the Greens securing of free school meals for thousands more children.
The Monarchy
In her speech, Gillian Mackay also said: “There is no case for hereditary rule in the 21st century.
“It is a ridiculous, antiquated relic of a system that flies in the face of democracy.”
She continued: “The problem goes far beyond Andrew. It is the system that created him and allowed him to have so much power in the first place.”
This is in reference to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s recent arrest over suspicions of misconduct in public office.
Mackay concluded her statement on the royal family saying: “Conference, it’s beyond time that we abolished the Monarchy.”