Patrick Harvie raises urgent question on home office actions

Fri 14 May, 2021

Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie raised the first urgent question of the new parliamentary term today, questioning the Scottish Government on the events surrounding the attempted forced removal of asylum seekers in Pollokshieds on Thursday.

Mr Harvie noted that although control of immigration matters regrettably remains in the hands of UK Ministers there are actions that can be taken in Scotland to support communities to resist the racist home office.

Patrick Harvie said:

Scottish Greens slam Home Office 

Thu 13 May, 2021

Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie has slammed the home office and stated that Scotland must build an asylum system worthy of the name.

Mr Harvie’s call comes as hundreds of locals in Pollokshields joined a protest following an attempt by the Home Office to forcibly remove asylum seekers.

Patrick Harvie said:

“It’s horrific that people have been forced to take such action to defend their most vulnerable neighbours from the brutality of the UK Home Office.

Queen's speech: UK Government hides intentions behind rhetoric

Wed 12 May, 2021

The Queen’s speech hid the UK Government’s intentions behind rhetoric, the Scottish Greens have warned.

Opening the Westminster parliament, the Queen talked about a recovery from the pandemic, green industries, sustainable economics and reform of the planning system.

The Time to Vote Green is Now

Fri 30 Apr, 2021

Scottish Greens will mark the final week of the election campaign today with a warning on the urgency of the climate emergency.

Co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater will highlight that with less than ten years before the deadline set by the Paris Agreement to keep global warming down, the time to vote green is now.

Scottish Greens pledge more opportunities for young people

Thu 29 Apr, 2021

Scottish Greens will today pledge to build on free bus travel to provide more opportunities for young people in the next parliament.

Free bus travel for everyone under 22 will come in this year as a result of budget wins by the Scottish Green Party in the last parliamentary term.

The party will build on that after May 6 by pushing for free travel for rail and ferries too, as well as increasing funding for colleges so they can expand bursaries for 16 and 17-year-olds and re-introduce part-time courses.

Scottish Greens reveal National Parks plan

Tue 27 Apr, 2021

The Scottish Greens will today unveil ambitious proposals to expand and upgrade Scotland’s national and regional parks.

A new report from the party builds on manifesto commitments to expand Scotland’s National and Regional Park network, with the aim of making them a centrepiece in our efforts to tackle the climate and nature emergencies.

Scottish Greens: climate strikers must be heard

Fri 23 Apr, 2021

The stark warnings for politicians from climate strikers must be heard at the 2021 Holyrood election, the Scottish Greens have said.

With two weeks until the election, Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie will today pay a visit to climate striker Dylan Hamilton, who has spent the last week on a vigil outside Edinburgh’s City Chambers calling for this to be a climate election.

Dylan is an activist with the Scottish climate strikers as part of the Fridays for Future movement, which Swedish climate striker Greta Thunberg brought to prominence.

Scottish Greens pledge a third off rail fares for all

Thu 22 Apr, 2021

Scottish Greens will today pledge to introduce a new railcard for Scots to immediately bring down the cost of rail fares for everyone who lives here.

The Scottish Railcard would be modelled on the existing Network Rail card in the South East of England, designed to encourage people to take the train rather than drive by reducing the cost of off-peak journeys by a third.

Scottish Greens welcome STUC support for self determination

Wed 21 Apr, 2021

Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie has welcomed the decision of the Scottish Trades Union Congress to vote in support of a motion stating that the Scottish Parliament should have the power to hold a referendum on Scotland’s future.

The motion stated that the Scottish Parliament should not require the consent of the UK Government to hold such a vote. The STUC also restated its view that the Westminster Government should not resist a vote if a majority of pro-independence MSPs are elected in May.

Patrick Harvie said:

Scottish Greens: Arts can help reinvigorate high streets

Wed 21 Apr, 2021

Arts and culture can play a key role in breathing new life into Scotland’s high streets as we emerge from the pandemic, the Scottish Greens will say today.

The party proposes Local Place Plans that would allow community-led planning to build great places and build stronger communities.

This includes supporting the repurposing of commercial properties into artist-led spaces such as studios, venues, cinemas, workshops and production facilities.