John Finnie MSP

Highlands and Islands

Justice, Transport & Tourism, Rural & Island Communities

John is a former police officer and has been a Highlands and Islands MSP since 2011. He is a member of Holyrood's Justice and Rural Economy committees. He successfully campaigned against deploying armed police to routine incidents, work for which he was awarded “Community Politician of the Year 2014”. He has campaigned against cuts to local education and medical services, police control rooms and Citizen’s Advice Bureaux and for public ownership of Calmac Ferries and the railways. He has also pushed for ethical investment of public funds and against ship to ship oil transfers of oil in the Moray Firth.

The Case For Local Democracy Renewed

John Finnie MSP Fri 12 Oct, 2018

High quality public services are the bedrock of our society and as demand for services rises, we cannot duck the debate about how they are funded. When we look at the services local councils are responsible for delivering, it becomes clear why their funding is so important. In every community there are council staff working hard, providing help and operating facilities that we all use on a regular basis: schools, social care, housing, roads, leisure centres and libraries. Local councils in Scotland employ over 240,000 people - that’s almost 10 per cent of all the jobs in Scotland.

Finnie urges public inquiry into Sheku Bayoh case

Wed 3 Oct, 2018

Scottish Greens justice spokesperson John Finnie MSP today (3 Oct) urged Scottish Ministers to set up a public inquiry into the Sheku Bayoh case, after the family was told that no criminal charges will be brought.

31-year-old Mr Bayoh died after being restrained by police who were called to reports of a man behaving erratically and brandishing a knife in the street in Kirkcaldy in May 2015.

Finnie highlights warnings from bus industry experts on Transport Bill

Wed 3 Oct, 2018

Scottish Greens transport spokesperson John Finnie MSP today (3 Oct) highlighted warnings from bus industry experts that the Scottish Government’s proposed Transport Bill won’t reverse the year-on-year decline in bus use.

Bus patronage in Scotland has fallen by 43 million trips in the last five years.

At today’s meeting of Holyrood’s Rural Economy & Connectivity Committee, Mr Finnie questioned a range of experts on whether the Transport Bill will arrest the decline.

Ending 'justifiable assault' will show that Scotland really is the best place in the world to grow up

Fri 7 Sep, 2018

Today (7th September) John Finnie MSP, Justice spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, has published his Member’s Bill to give children equal protection from assault.

If passed the Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Bill will see Scotland join more than 50 other countries around the world in ensuring that children are protected from physical punishment.

Greens deride First Minister for ‘forefront of low carbon travel’ claim

Mon 3 Sep, 2018

A Green MSP is accusing the First Minister of “green window dressing” after claiming that a £16m fund, and announcements in the 2018-19 Programme for Government, will place Scotland at the “forefront of low carbon travel”.

John Finnie, the Scottish Greens’ transport spokesperson, says the claim is hollow because Norway has pledged to phase out petrol and diesel vehicles by 2025, seven years ahead of the Scottish Government’s 2032 aim.

Finnie welcomes Coul Links ‘Call in’

Sat 25 Aug, 2018

Highlands and Islands Green MSP John Finnie has today (24/08/2018) welcomed news that the Scottish Government will ‘call in’ the Coul Links planning application.

Mr Finnie wrote to the Scottish Government in June requesting that they call in the application.

Commenting, Mr Finnie said:

Finnie questions government's commitment to public bid for Scotrail

Sat 25 Aug, 2018

A Green MSP is calling out what he sees as insufficient progress on the Scottish Government’s attempts to facilitate a public bid for ScotRail after ministers revealed the next franchise competition could effectively be delayed by three years.

John Finnie, the Scottish Greens’ transport spokesperson, received a letter from the transport secretary that revealed the government will now also “give equal treatment” to private sector bidders.

Mr Finnie, the Green MSP for the Highlands and Islands, said:

Serco Charging Premium Rate for RET Rebate

Sat 25 Aug, 2018

Serco, the multinational company currently charged with operating the Northern Isles Ferry Services franchise, has been accused of acting in bad faith after charging customers premium rates to claim a rebate following the introduction of the Road Equivalent Tariff (RET).

Mass culling of mountain hares must stop, says Finnie

Sat 25 Aug, 2018

Highlands and Islands Green MSP John Finnie has called on the Scottish Government to urgently introduce a moratorium on the culling of mountain hares in the Highlands as new figures reveal the number of mountain hares in the eastern Highlands has dropped by more than 99 per cent since 1954.

Mr Finnie said:

“Scottish Ministers have repeatedly stated that they do not support mass culling of mountain hares, yet it is happening all the same.

Greens call for north rail improvements

Sat 25 Aug, 2018

The Scottish Green Party is calling on the Scottish Government to deliver on its promises by urgently investing in improvements to rail services in the north.

Highlands and Islands MSP John Finnie, and Strathspey and Badenoch Councillor Pippa Hadley, have made the call in the wake of Transform Scotland highlighting the Scottish Government’s failure to meet journey time improvement commitments it made ten years ago.

Mr Finnie said: