Scottish Greens

Alison secures commitment over project that helps children in poverty

Wed 21 Sep, 2016

Alison Johnstone MSP, Health spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, today secured a commitment from the Health Secretary to roll out a project that improves the health of children in poverty by boosting family incomes.

In a Holyrood debate on the NHS, Alison highlighted the Greens' desire to see Glasgow's Healthier Wealthier Children project applied across the country. The project involves midwives and health visitors helping low income families access financial support and is backed by the Glasgow Centre for Population Health.

Scot Gov publishing budget so late scrutiny becomes almost meaningless

Wed 21 Sep, 2016

Patrick Harvie MSP, Finance spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, today highlighted concerns by the Parliament's Finance Committee that there won't be enough opportunity for scrutiny of the Scottish Government's proposed 2017-18 Scottish Budget.

The committee, of which Mr Harvie is a member, has written to the Finance Secretary to say that it is "unacceptable" that he is not prepared to publish any scenario planning in advance of the draft budget, despite an earlier promise. The committee has also tabled a motion in Parliament calling for a debate on the issue.

Taskforce needed to tackle dogfighting says green MSP

Wed 21 Sep, 2016

A call for the Scottish Government to set up a national taskforce to deal with organised dogfighting was made at Holyrood today by a Green MSP.

Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Mark Ruskell also asked the minister for community safety what action the government is “taking to detect, prevent and prosecute dogfighting offences”.

Mark Ruskell MSP said:

Unit assessments major source of staff workload and pupil stress

Wed 21 Sep, 2016

Ross Greer MSP, Education spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, today welcomed the announcement by the Education Secretary that unit assessments for qualifications at National 5 and Higher level are to end.

Scots struggling to maintain good health

Tue 20 Sep, 2016

Alison Johnstone MSP, Health spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, today urged investment to tackle poor health as new figures showed an increase in average waistlines, with two-thirds of adults classed as overweight.

The Scottish Health Survey reveals two-thirds of all women and nearly three in five men are at increased risk of disease based on their Body Mass Index and waist circumference.

Giving people the opportunity to share their journey from No to Yes

Sun 18 Sep, 2016

To mark the 2nd anniversary of the independence referendum, the Scottish Greens today (18 Sep) launch a new campaign - No2yes.scot - to give people who voted No in 2014 an opportunity to tell the story of why they have since changed their mind to support independence.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Greens said:

My journey from No to Yes

Claire Miller Sun 18 Sep, 2016

People take me for Scottish because of my Borders accent, my cultural norms, and my peely-wally skin. But as with most folk, my nationality is more complex than meets the eye. My family are all from England and I was born in the north west of England, but I was raised in Scotland and don’t remember living anywhere else.

Growing up a Borders lass, I was used to going back and forth from Berwickshire (in Scotland) to Berwick (in England), and I feel really strongly that emphasising the line between two countries does more to divide than unite them.

Harvie: "The case for Scotland retaining its relationship with the EU inevitably changes the case for independence"

Patrick Harvie MSP Fri 16 Sep, 2016

Readers of the National are unlikely to need a reminder that Sunday marks the second anniversary of Scotland’s independence referendum (perhaps to be known in future as Scotland’s first independence referendum).

With 20mph zones we can have safe streets & cut our transport emissions

Thu 15 Sep, 2016

Mark Ruskell MSP, Climate Change spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, today (15 Sep) urged the First Minister to get behind the principle of rolling out 20 mph zones in residential areas in an effort to meet gaps in her Government's climate action plan.

This week the UK Committee on Climate Change highlighted that emissions from transport are holding Scotland back and that there are zero actions in the Scottish Government’s climate action plan to address this.

Hinkley is a total waste of public money

Thu 15 Sep, 2016

Responding to news that the UK Government has given the go ahead for a new £18bn nuclear power station at Hinkley Point in Somerset, Mark Ruskell MSP, Energy spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, said: