Green MSP Alison Johnstone used yesterday’s First Minister’s Questions to highlight the “gazumping” of one of Scotland’s first major urban community buy-outs, the Sick Kids Hospital site at Sciennes. Green councillor Claire Miller also raised the issue of the Sick Kids sell-off during yesterday’s full council meeting. Continue reading Gazumped! Green concerns over Sick Kids sell-off
A new report by Andy Wightman MSP, Housing and Land Reform spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, shows that giving local councils the power to tax the 20,000 football pitches’ worth of vacant and derelict land in Scotland could generate £200 million a year to build affordable homes and tackle the housing crisis. Continue reading Green report shows taxing derelict land could help tackle housing crisis
The Westminster Government has not evaluated the impact of its welfare reforms on homelessness, or the impact of the mitigations that it has put in place, according to the National Audit Office. The National Audit Office, which scrutinises public spending for Parliament and is independent of government, is critical of the government’s welfare reforms and says a ‘light touch’ response to problems isn’t working. Continue reading Welfare reforms have fuelled homelessness, says Audit Office
The European Commission’s Chief Negotiator for Brexit, Michel Barnier, is to meet the Scottish Parliament’s European Committee on Monday (11 September 2017). The Committee will hear first-hand about the progress of the negotiations and the respective positions of the EU and the UK from the European Commission’s perspective. Continue reading EC’s Brexit negotiatons chief to brief Holyrood committee
The SNP has challenged opposition parties to back “the greenest programme for government in the history of the Scottish Parliament”, as described by environmental campaigners.
The legislative agenda unveiled by the First Minister yesterday details 16 new bills, including ambitious plans to phase out the need for petrol and diesel vehicles by 2032 and launch a Scottish National Investment Bank. The programme also includes actions to tackle poverty and to transform education. Continue reading SNP challenges opposition to support ‘greenest agenda ever’
Seizing the opportunities of the low carbon revolution, investing in future economic growth and improving the lives of all our young people will be central to the Scottish Government’s Programme for the coming year, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced yesterday. Continue reading Scottish Government goes green
Scottish Government to ‘refocus and refresh’
Holyrood’s back, and later this week First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will unveil her ‘most ambitious Programme for Government yet’, focused around a ‘bold agenda to strengthen and modernise the economy’. The programme will be announced following months of accusations that the government has run out of ideas and has been fixated for too long on a second independence referendum. Continue reading Scottish government: getting back to the day job?
Low income families across Scotland will be thousands of pounds a year worse off per year because of welfare cuts imposed by the UK government, a new report has found. The Scottish Government report, ‘the Impact of UK Welfare Policy on Families with Children’, looks at what the policies implemented since 2015 will mean for families. Continue reading Report sets out ‘”devastating impact” of Westminster’s welfare cuts
Holyrood’s Education and Skills Committee is making over thirty recommendations to help address Scotland’s teacher shortages. The recommendations come after the Committee heard from over 650 teachers and trainee teachers. Continue reading Warnings from the chalkface
Brock welcomes rethink on Registry Office closure – but says the fight isn’t over yet
Deidre Brock MP has hailed “victory for the Leithers” over news that Edinburgh Council has backed down over its plans to close Leith Registrars Office, putting them on hold until a public consultation has been held. A petition to save the Registrar gathered 4000 signatures in just a couple of days, showing the massive support from Leithers for the service. Continue reading Persevere: Victory for Leithers as Registrar’s stays open!
