Scottish Greens

Greens congratulate North Kelvin Meadow campaign

Thu 16 Dec, 2010

For immediate release 16 December 2010

New Forth Bridge project referred to Audit Scotland

Wed 15 Dec, 2010

For immediate release 15 December 2010

A joint letter to the Auditor General for Scotland, sent today, has called on Audit Scotland to conduct an urgent investigation into the background to the additional Forth Bridge and the alternatives to it before any contracts are let, and to advise Ministers on the timing for and nature of any such contracts so that the public interest can be properly protected.

Buchanan Galleries expansion plans pay too high a price

Tue 14 Dec, 2010

For immediate release 14 December 2010

Plans for more retail units within the "Buchanan Quarter" will bring significant financial risks to the public purse and have a negative impact on the quality of the environment in Glasgow's city centre.

Fees vote a breach of trust - students urged to go Green

Thu 9 Dec, 2010

For immediate release 9 December 2010

Today's vote in the House of Commons in favour of a sharp increase in tuition fees represents a critical breach of trust by Lib Dem Ministers, Greens argued, and the Green MSPs today invited disaffected students to join the Greens and work to defend free education. Robin Harper and Patrick Harvie will pay membership subs for all students joining the Scottish Greens tomorrow.

Patrick Harvie MSP said:

Extreme weather and the end of cheap oil

comms Wed 8 Dec, 2010

Everyone will have a story to tell about how this extreme weather has affected them. The image that sticks in my mind is walking 45 minutes through the snow to pick up my son from nursery. St Leonards road was filled with people. Walking, talking, helping each other and mostly having fun. Things were more serious for people trapped in cars or relying on vital services to get through. But it gave us a glimpse of our vulnerability to nature and our dependance on bringing stuff in - whether fuel, food or energy - to cater for our basic needs.

SNP paper on tuition fees must commit to public funding

Tue 7 Dec, 2010

For immediate release 7 December 2010

Today's poll commissioned by NUS Scotland confirms that any move in the Scottish Parliament to overturn this session's abolition of tuition fees would be deeply unpopular with the Scottish people. The Green MSPs therefore today urged SNP Ministers not to depart from the public funding model agreed in 2008 when they publish next week's Green Paper on the future of student finance in Scotland.

Patrick Harvie MSP said:

Near disaster in North Sea revives moratorium call

Tue 7 Dec, 2010

For immediate release 7 December 2010

Instructions from Malcolm Tucker

comms Tue 7 Dec, 2010

I was very amused by some news coverage last night. And courtesy of 'The Thick of It', I can guess exactly what happened too. My wife Gina and I watched transport minister Stewart Stevenson's not very impressive performance on Newsnight Scotland when he repeatedly declined to apologise for the transport chaos that had persisted all day (snow had not been forecast, good job in very difficult circumstances etc.). He clearly failed to appreciate how this looked given the package played before his interview which included people who had been stuck in vehicles for 10 hours.

Ice, snow and school closures

comms Thu 2 Dec, 2010

The City Council’s Lib Dem / SNP Administration shows a remarkable enthusiasm for school closures. When it is not closing them permanently (7 primary schools shut in 2009 and 2010 and more nurseries to follow, it seems) then it is taking the unprecedented move to shut all schools because of the weather this week.

Parliament must listen to the public and back Margo

Wed 1 Dec, 2010

For immediate release 1 December 2010

Holyrood will today vote on the End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill lodged by Margo Macdonald MSP. Like other parties, the Green MSPs are treating this as a vote of conscience, and both Patrick Harvie and Robin Harper will vote for her Bill at 5pm today. The most recent polling, published last week, indicates that 77% of Scots also back these proposals, with strong majorities in favour amongst supporters of all five parties represented at Holyrood.

Robin Harper MSP said: