Alison Johnstone MSP

Lothian

Health & Sport, Social Security, Children & Young People

Alison Johnstone has represented Lothian region since 2011 and was an Edinburgh city councillor between 2007 and 2012. Alison is from Edinburgh and lives in the south west of the city. A former East of Scotland 800m and 1500m title holder, Alison is a qualified athletics coach and Board member of Scottish Athletics. She continues to campaign to preserve precious green space, for investment in walking and cycling and for access to sport for all. She led the Fans First campaign to win football fans the right to buy their clubs; led the fight against fracking by proposing a ban in 2014 when all other parties supported it; and persuaded ministers to make energy efficient housing a national infrastructure priority. Since 2016 her advocacy for a compassionate social security system has led to benefit sanctions not being applied to devolved employment schemes and boosted family incomes by securing a roll out of the Healthier, Wealthier Children programme. She secured an amendment to the Social Security Act to ensure that unnecessary face-to-face assessments will not be required to access disability benefits when these are devolved to the Scottish Parliament. Alison is also bringing forward legislation to introduce a real ban on fox hunting and protect Scotland's hares.

Ruth Davidson's lobbying role shows need for second jobs bill

Fri 25 Oct, 2019

Former Scottish Conservative leader must quit as an MSP and force a by-election after accepting a lucrative corporate lobbying role, the Scottish Greens have said.

Davidson has recently been appointed to the Scottish Parliament’s corporate body, which oversees the workings of Parliament, but has also now taken a £50,000 job with a firm which lobbies politicians.

Commenting, Scottish Green MSP for Lothian Alison Johnstone said: “The people of Edinburgh Central elected Ruth Davidson to represent them, not use her position to earn £50,000 from lobbyists.

Green young carer grant approved

Alison Johnstone MSP Mon 7 Oct, 2019

Scottish Green Social Security Spokesperson Alison Johnstone MSP has welcomed parliamentary approval of legislation establishing a Young Carer Grant, after the Scottish Parliament formally backed the measure on Wednesday 2nd October.

GREENS SLAM “UNACCEPTABLE” BENEFIT APPEAL WAITS

Alison Johnstone MSP Mon 7 Oct, 2019

The Scottish Greens have called for more protection for disability payment recipients, after official figures showed waiting times for appealing decisions have rocketed to a level even the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) itself describes as “an all-time high.”

The UK Government has published figures which show people who are denied Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or awarded PIP at a reduced rate, now wait 69 days on average for an internal review by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Johnstone calls for action on raptor persecution

Alison Johnstone MSP Mon 7 Oct, 2019

The Scottish Government’s attempt to tackle the continued illegal killing of birds of prey by introducing vicarious liability has failed and the provision needs urgent review, Alison Johnstone MSP has said today.

Vicarious liability was introduced in 2012 as a “strong response” to the continued illegal poisoning of birds of prey. It allows for a landowner or sporting agent to be held responsible for the criminal actions of an employee, and it was hoped that it would act as an effective deterrent for wildlife crime.

GREENS CALL FOR ACTION ON FOOD INSECURITY AFTER "SHOCKING" NEW FIGURES RELEASED

Alison Johnstone MSP Wed 25 Sep, 2019

Scottish Green health and social security spokesperson Alison Johnstone MSP is calling for urgent action after new statistics showed an alarming rate of food insecurity.

The Scottish Health Survey released today shows that 9% of adults worry about about running out of food 6% ate less than they should to avoid running out of food, and 3% had run out of food due to a lack of resources.

The figures are much higher for single parents, with 25% worried they would run out of food, single men under 65 living alone, at 21%, and those in the most deprived areas, at 16%.

Greens respond to hospitals inquiry announcement

Tue 17 Sep, 2019

The Scottish Government’s announcement that a public inquiry will be held to examine issues at the new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP) and the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) sites is welcome, but must not be limited in scope by the minister says the Scottish Greens Health Spokesperson Alison Johnstone

Alison Johnstone MSP said:

Yellowhammer documents reveal no deal disaster

Thu 12 Sep, 2019

The so-called ‘Yellowhammer’ documents published last night by the UK Government show that Scotland is facing disaster in the face of Boris Johnson’s No Deal Brexit according to Scottish Greens Parliamentary Co-Leader Alison Johnstone MSP.

The documents callously details that, ‘low income groups will be disproportionately affected by any price rises in food and fuel.’

Staff and patients must come first in Sick Kids delay

Wed 11 Sep, 2019

The Scottish Government must support the staff and patients of the Edinburgh children’s hospital while they are stuck in the old facilities, Scottish Green MSP Alison Johnstone has said.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman today told the Scottish Parliament the new hospital will not be ready for another year, at huge cost to the public purse.

Fox hunting sympathies revealed in Scottish Government cabinet

Tue 10 Sep, 2019

Scottish Green MSP Alison Johnstone has asked for clarification from the Scottish Government after it emerged that Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing supports current loopholes in fox hunting laws and wants to continue to allow the use of dogs when hunting and killing foxes.

Scottish Government must do more to tackle drug deaths

Thu 5 Sep, 2019

The Scottish Government must do more, urgently, to deal with Scotland’s drug deaths crisis according to the Scottish Greens Health Spokesperson Alison Johnstone MSP.

Ms Johnstone, who responded to a statement on the issue by the Minister for Public Health this afternoon (5 Sep), criticised the Scottish Government for failing to step up in the face of this public health emergency.

Alison Johnstone MSP said:

Alison Johnstone MSP Back to greens.scot

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