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MSP report

Lothian Green MSP report – June 2021

Lorna Slater’s report to Lothian branches of the Scottish Greens for May-June 2021, her first month in Parliament

The first business of Parliament is to set itself up, so members get sworn in, the Presiding Officers is elected then the First Minister is elected, who appoints the Ministers who make up the Government.

The next step, the stage we are at now, is setting up the Parliamentary Committees who will do the actual work.

The new MSP group is a strong one with a good variety of experience and interests, which means that the portfolio allocations were very straight forward and everyone got their #1 choices:

  • Patrick Harvie: Scottish Greens spokesperson for Finance and Constitution. This includes Taxation, Scottish, UK and local levels of government, Europe, the independence referendum and development of Green Yes case
  • Lorna Slater: Scottish Greens spokesperson for Economic Recovery and Green Industrial Strategy. This includes Industry, Fair Work, Just Transition, Trade Unions, Non-Transport Infrastructure, Trade policy, Business Support e.g. hospitality and tourism
  • Ariane Burgess: Scottish Greens spokesperson for Communities, Land Reform, Housing and Rural Affairs. This includes Islands, Rural affairs, Farming, Housing, Planning, Community Empowerment
  • Maggie Chapman: Scottish Greens spokesperson for Justice, Equality and Human Rights. This includes Justice; Community Safety, Equality and Human Rights; Migration and International Development; Social Security, Older People
  • Ross Greer: Scottish Greens spokesperson for Education, Culture and External Affairs. This includes Schools, Further and Higher Education, Skills, Children and Young People; Culture and Media; External Affairs
  • Gillian Mackay: Scottish Greens spokesperson for Health and Social Care. This includes Sport, Public Health and Mental Wellbeing
  • Mark Ruskell: Scottish Greens spokesperson for Environment, Climate and Transport. This includes Energy, Transport, Active Travel, Environmental Protections, Nature Restoration

The MSP Group is now in the process of hiring staff and meeting stakeholders in their portfolio areas and over the recess, once the progress in the cooperation talks is clear and we’ve had input from our respective branches, we will develop the strategy for this Parliamentary term.