Ross Greer MSP

West of Scotland

External Affairs, Education & Skills, Culture & Media

Ross was Communities Co-ordinator at Yes Scotland, helping to develop the movement for independence. He is a member of Holyrood's European and Education committees. Ross is an active community campaigner on issues ranging from school closures to supermarket expansion and opportunities for young people. Upon election in May 2016 at the age of 21, Ross became the youngest MSP in the history of the Scottish Parliament. He was formerly a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament for Clydebank & MIilngavie constituency and led on the successful campaign to give 16 & 17 year olds the vote in the independence referendum.

An independent Scotland can build a people’s Europe

Ross Greer MSP Fri 18 Jan, 2019

In 70 days the Article 50 negotiation period will expire and unless something changes, the UK will leave the European Union, with or without a deal. What happens in the next seventy days is anyone’s guess but it is sure to be the greatest crisis of the British state in modern history.

Chaos reigns supreme at Westminster. In the largest ever defeat of a British government, the Tory deal negotiated over the last two years has been blown off the table.

Ministers agree to Greer's call to look at risk of post-Brexit people-trafficking

Thu 10 Jan, 2019

Scottish Ministers today (10 Jan) agreed to a Green MSP's call to look into the threat of increased people-trafficking as a result of the UK Government's proposed post-Brexit immigration system.

The current system for ‘third country’ or non-EEA nationals, defined by the Conservatives’ ‘hostile environment’ policies, has been found to make tackling human trafficking harder and is regularly exploited by traffickers. With the extension of this system to cover some 450 million European nationals, expectations are that the number of human trafficking victims in the UK could increase.

Greer calls on Scot Gov to end support for arms dealers supplying Brazil

Wed 2 Jan, 2019

Scottish Greens international relations spokesperson Ross Greer MSP today (2 Jan) called on the Scottish Government to end its financial support of arms dealers supplying the Brazilian government, following yesterday’s inauguration of the openly fascist Jair Bolsonaro as Brazilian president.

Greer challenges Scot Gov over failure to publish No Deal Brexit plan

Tue 18 Dec, 2018

Scottish Greens Europe spokesperson Ross Greer MSP today (18 Dec) challenged the Scottish Government over its failure to show the public its plans for public healthcare, the water supply and other essential services in the event of a No Deal Brexit.

Questioning Constitutional Relations Secretary Mike Russell in Parliament, Mr Greer pressed for contingency plans to be put into the public domain and the Cabinet Secretary replied that he would "get officials to look into this".

Afterward, Ross Greer MSP said:

Greer challenges Swinney over subsidy to fee-paying Music School when many councils are axing free tuition

Wed 5 Dec, 2018

Green MSP Ross Greer has challenged Education Secretary John Swinney to justify his Government’s long-running subsidy of around £1.2 million to the fee-paying St Mary’s Music School in Edinburgh, at a time when many councils are axing free music tuition in schools due to budget cuts passed down by the Scottish Government.

We welcome EU Court of Justice Advocate General opinion on Article 50 process

Tue 4 Dec, 2018

Scottish Green MSPs today (4 Dec) welcomed the opinion of the EU Court of Justice Advocate General Campos Sánchez-Bordona, who says that the Article 50 process triggering Brexit can be cancelled by the UK without needing permission from other EU member states.

The case was brought by Scottish Green MSPs Andy Wightman and Ross Greer, along with politicians from the SNP and Labour.

Greer blasts changes to data published on school staff

Wed 28 Nov, 2018

Following today's evidence session with government statisticians at Holyrood's Education committee, Scottish Greens education spokesperson Ross Greer has blasted changes to the data published on school staff.

Mr Greer says the merging and dropping of categories is a ‘smokescreen obscuring the very real staffing crisis affecting young people with additional support needs.’

Greer steps up call for action amid fear music teachers could disappear from schools for good

Wed 14 Nov, 2018

Scottish Greens education spokesperson Ross Greer MSP today (14 Nov) stepped up his call for action from government after the country's biggest teaching union raised the prospect that music teachers could soon disappear from schools for good.

At today's meeting of Holyrood's Education Committee, Mr Greer highlighted that local councils facing funding pressures are cutting staff, as well as charging for tuition, pricing many children out of learning an instrument.

Scottish Greens welcome inclusive education commitment

Thu 8 Nov, 2018

Today (8 November) the Scottish Greens, the first party to back the TIE campaign for LGBTI inclusive education in Scotland, welcomed the Government’s announcement that it would accept in full the recommendations of the LGBTI Inclusive Education Working Group’s report.

Ross Greer MSP, Scottish Green Spokesperson for Education, said:

Ross Greer demands action on school music tuition barriers

Wed 7 Nov, 2018

A Green MSP is demanding government action to stop musical instrument tuition becoming an exclusive activity after Holyrood’s education committee heard from a young person how skyrocketing charges are creating ‘Victorian’ levels of inequality in music.

Linlithgow Academy pupil and MSYP Alice Ferguson explained how her school band had lost members because pupils now have to pay £382 a year, Alice said, “It is only the privileged that are getting to do music now - it’s like Victorian times, where only the elite get these opportunities. This increases inequality”.