Mark Ruskell MSP

Mid Scotland and Fife

Climate, Energy, Environment, Food & Farming

Mark Ruskell was re-elected as an MSP in May 2016, having served Mid Scotland and Fife between 2003 and 2007, during which time he served on the environment committee, introduced legislative proposals on climate targets and GM crops. In this session he is a member of the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform committee. He has been a councillor on Stirling Council since 2012. Outside of politics Mark has managed community development projects, worked in the renewables sector and for conservation bodies in Scotland. He lives near Doune with his young family.

Windfall tax to pay for COVID recovery proposed at parliament

Wed 18 Nov, 2020

A windfall tax on businesses that are making enormous profits from lockdown has been raised at the Scottish Parliament by Scottish Green MSP Mark Ruskell.

Supermarkets and online retailers are recording rises in pre-tax profits at a time when many small businesses are facing extinction because of COVID-related restrictions.

At the Scottish Parliament’s COVID committee, Mark Ruskell proposed a windfall tax to support a fair recovery and protect the high street.

Chris Packham: Vital that nature emergency is widely understood

Mon 16 Nov, 2020

TV personality and naturalist Chris Packham has backed calls from the Scottish Greens for the Scottish Parliament to declare a nature emergency, saying that recognising it, “would be a bold first step toward rectifying it.”

The Scottish Greens will put such a declaration to a vote at Holyrood on Wednesday which, if passed, would make Scotland the first country to officially recognise that rapid decline of species and wildlife populations across the world constitutes an emergency. In Scotland one in nine species currently face extinction.

Chris Packham said:

Scottish Greens call for Parliament to declare a nature emergency

Mon 16 Nov, 2020

The Scottish Parliament must declare a nature emergency to reverse the alarming decline in species, the Scottish Greens have said.

The Scottish Greens are set to put the declaration to a vote at Holyrood which would make Scotland the first country in the world to recognise that the rapid decline of species and wildlife populations across the world constitutes an emergency.

Greens: Stopping climate funding for farms is hypocrisy

Tue 10 Nov, 2020

Scottish Greens have accused the Scottish Government of hypocrisy after it closed vital funding for farmers to reduce their carbon footprint.

The closure of the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme was raised in the Scottish Parliament by Scottish Greens food and farming spokesperson Mark Ruskell.

The Scottish Parliament was discussing support for addressing climate emissions from agriculture, following the publication of a report by the Farming for 1.5 inquiry yesterday.

Douglas Ross accused of spouting “anti-science drivel”

Mon 9 Nov, 2020

Scottish Greens energy and climate spokesperson Mark Ruskell MSP has slammed Douglas Ross, branding his plans to shelve climate targets and continue oil and gas extraction for decades as “climate change denial.”

Scottish Greens: build testing into Tier system

Wed 4 Nov, 2020

Mass testing should be built into the COVID framework so that everyone gets tested for COVID-19 in areas placed in Tier Four restrictions, the Scottish Greens have said.

The call comes after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told MSPs of the Scottish Parliament’s COVID committee that current situation was “fragile”.

She told MSPs: “We need to see infection rates decline significantly.”

BiFab: Scottish Govt must stop hiding behind state aid rules

Tue 3 Nov, 2020

The Scottish Government must not hide behind state aid rules for its failure to support renewable energy jobs, the Scottish Greens have said.

In a statement to MSPs, Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop said the government had no legal options to prevent renewables construction contracts being sent overseas.

However, Ms Hyslop responded positively to the suggestion from Scottish Green MSP Mark Ruskell that the Scottish Government should become a majority shareholder in Bifab.

Revealed: Scotland's bizarre export of beavers

Mon 2 Nov, 2020

One in four of Scotland’s beaver population is set to be exiled to England in a bizarre move by Nature Scot.

Beavers were declared a protected species by the Scottish Government but the nature agency has since allowed a fifth of the population to be killed in 2019.

It has now emerged that Nature Scot is planning a wholesale export of 112 beavers to England, some of which are being held in a holding facility.

Greens pay tribute to dignity and determination of miners

Wed 28 Oct, 2020

Scottish Greens Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Mark Ruskell has this afternoon paid tribute to the “dignity and determination” of miners convicted for matters related to the 1984-1985 miners strike.

Urgent action needed to improve road safety

Wed 28 Oct, 2020

The Scottish Government must take urgent action to save lives on Scotland’s roads, Scottish Greens MSP Mark Ruskell has said.

Mr Ruskell, whose bill to improve road safety by introducing a standard 20mph neighbourhood speed limit was rejected by the Scottish Government last year, made the call on the day Scottish Government statistics revealed that 165 deaths occurred on Scotland’s roads in 2019.

Mark Ruskell MSP said:

“The Scottish Government must take action to stop people being injured or killed on our roads.