Scottish Greens

It's time to dismantle the Crown Estate & transfer land & property to democratic control

Andy Wightman MSP Fri 17 Aug, 2018

Forty years ago, the first fish farms appeared in Scotland’s west coast sea lochs. No planning consent was required and as they spread, local politicians and campaigners became aware of the unaccountable and remote body that is the Crown Estate Commissioners. Since 1961, they have been responsible for managing Scotland’s Crown Estate and as their tentacles spread, they began demanding rents and levies from harbours and moorings that had previously invested in coastal facilities not ever imagining that they needed to pay rent for the privilege.

New Transport Secretary challenged to prioritise bus & rail, and drop outdated obsession with more & bigger roads

Wed 15 Aug, 2018

New Transport Secretary Michael Matheson is being challenged to prioritise bus and rail services, and drop the government’s “outdated obsession” with building more and bigger roads, as the Scottish Greens point to the failure of a £500million motorway project that promised to cut journey times by 20 minutes.

By injecting humanity into the new Scottish social security system, we can bring the giant of poverty down to size

Alison Johnstone MSP Fri 10 Aug, 2018

Three-quarters of a century ago, the economist and social reformer William Beveridge identified five issues that needed to be tackled to make a better Britain. He declared that there were five giant evils on the road to reconstruction: poverty, disease, ignorance, squalor and idleness. To defeat these giants, he proposed setting up a welfare state with social security, a national health service, free education, council housing and full employment.

Thousands of Scots could be spared from hated benefits assessment as a result of Scottish Green changes to social security law

Fri 10 Aug, 2018

Thousands of Scots could be spared from hated benefits assessment as a result of Scottish Green changes to social security law, Greens have claimed today (10 Aug).

A Freedom of Information request to the Department for Work and Pensions shows that the introduction of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) has led to an explosion in the number of unnecessary face-to-face assessments.

Ten communities first to benefit from Green rail fund

Thu 9 Aug, 2018

Ten communities will be the first to benefit from a new rail fund set up by the Scottish Greens during negotiations with government over the most recent Scottish budget.

The Local Rail Development Fund is worth £2million this year and was set up by the Greens in an effort to help community groups progress proposals for reopening stations and lines and creating new connections.

Today's first round of funding will benefit communities including Haddington in East Lothian, Linlithgow in West Lothian, Insch in Aberdeenshire and Newburgh and St Andrews in Fife.

Careful consideration needs given to third consecutive drop in Higher passes

Tue 7 Aug, 2018

A 3rd annual drop in the Higher pass rate must be carefully monitored, Scottish Greens education spokesperson Ross Greer MSP warned today (7 Aug).

This year 76.8% of entries were marked at Grade C or above compared with 77% last year and 77.2% in 2016.

Ross Greer MSP said:

“Exam results don’t define you but we should congratulate the young people across Scotland who have achieved a lot today. At the same time, careful consideration needs given to this third consecutive drop in Higher passes and the potential of it becoming a trend.

If Serco and the Home Office want to throw people onto the street, they’ll first have to get past the people of Glasgow

Ross Greer MSP Sat 4 Aug, 2018

The Westminster government has unleashed yet another tragedy on Glasgow. 330 asylum seekers are set to be forcibly evicted from their homes. Hundreds of vulnerable people will be made homeless, creating a humanitarian crisis.

Serco, contracted by the Home Office to provide asylum seeker housing, is moving to evict 330 people, including even those who’ve been granted the right to stay by Britain’s cruel asylum system.

Ministers turning blind eye to wildlife mass slaughter as open season on mountain hares begins

Wed 1 Aug, 2018

Scottish Ministers are being accused by a Green MSP of turning a blind eye to the mass slaughter of important wildlife with today (1 Aug) marking the start of the open season on mountain hares, when landowners can shoot as many as they like until February.

Mountain hare shooting is an activity offered by Scottish game estates, and it is estimated that 26,000 are killed on average each year. This is up to 14 per cent of the population, despite the species being classified as a priority in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.

We need action now to prevent climate change from becoming unmanageable

Patrick Harvie MSP Fri 27 Jul, 2018

This summer’s weather has been extraordinary, not just in Scotland but around the world. It has been accompanied by the usual slew of online articles about how to get to sleep in the warm weather (has anyone actually managed to fit a pillow in the freezer?) and the importance of staying hydrated.

But as the heat has continued, the advice has moved from not leaving dogs in hot cars to warnings about water levels running low in reservoirs and the two words guaranteed to strike fear into suburbia – “hosepipe ban”.

Wightman proposes changes to help councils tackle housing crisis by controlling holiday accommodation

Tue 24 Jul, 2018

A Scottish Green MSP is proposing changes to the law to help local councils tackle Scotland's housing crisis by controlling the controversial growth in private homes being used as holiday accommodation.

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