PUBLIC rejection of its climate policy was at the heart of the SNP and Scottish Tories’ election collapse, environmental campaigners said today.

Greenpeace UK head of climate Mel Evans accused the SNP of avoiding “the issue of new oil and gas like the plague” and the Tories of starting a “drilling frenzy” in the North Sea.

She said: “In contrast, Labour have been very vocal about boosting our energy independence through reducing reliance on oil and gas.

“Voters want a future Scottish economy built on clean, green renewable energy and jobs for the future. Labour have cleaned up as a result.”

The environmental mandate went not only to Labour, however, as the Scottish Greens received a record vote, securing third place across Glasgow.

Challenging the new Labour government to act on climate, Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said: “We need bold policies that live up to the scale of the crisis our climate faces.

“The Scottish Greens stood on a platform of action to tackle poverty and the climate emergency, with a £28 billion green investment plan funded by taxes on the super-rich and the big polluters.

“These are the kinds of ambitious changes that are badly needed.”