Edinburgh heritage: Johnstone highlights UNESCO concerns
Alison Johnstone, Scottish Green MSP for Lothian, today (24 Feb) urged Edinburgh city council and the Scottish Government to act upon reports that Unesco has expressed “deeply worrying” concerns that the quality of new developments is affecting the city’s World Heritage status. Alison spoke at the recent planning hearing into the Old Royal High School…
Museum of Fire: Johnstone urges rethink of removal plans
Lothian MSP Alison Johnstone has today (11 February) condemned the announcement that the Edinburgh Museum of Fire will be moved to a new location. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s (SFRS) has decided to move the iconic museum from its original home on Lauriston Place. Museum volunteers and campaigners have resisted the move, which is…
Scotland can be better: Holyrood can be bolder – with more Green MSPs
With a surge in membership to over 9000, and poll ratings that indicate a significant increase in share of vote, the Scottish Green Party have launched their most ambitious election campaign yet with the bold theme of ‘Scotland Can’. Setting out the campaign with 6 key messages, the Scottish Greens will connect with the concerns…
Greens set sights on two Lothian seats as local campaign takes off
The Greens have set their sights on winning at least two Scottish Parliament seats in Lothian in this May’s Scottish elections. Sitting MSP Alison Johnstone is standing in the hotly-contested Edinburgh Central seat as well as topping the Green list throughout Lothian. Number two on the Green list is well-known land and democracy campaigner Andy…
Care and health big issues for May elections says Green MSP
Responding to publication of the Royal College of Nursing in Scotland’s manifesto for the Holyrood election, Alison Johnstone MSP, Health and Wellbeing spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, said: “RCN Scotland is right to highlight the need for long-term workforce planning and protected time for professional development. Training and recruitment of staff is absolutely vital as…
Edinburgh Budget choices need to be bolder
The city council needs to be bolder in protecting public services say the capital’s Green councillors. In the aftermath of the city council’s budget meeting today (Thursday 21 January) Green councillors said they were disappointed but not surprised that their package of £10m to give priority to schools, social care and vulnerable children was not…
Green councillors in Edinburgh propose £10m investment through council tax rise of £0.97
£10 million to invest in services and to combat cuts in schools, social care and vulnerable children should be the capital’s priority. That is the message from Green councillors in Edinburgh as they propose a 4.3% council tax rise for next year: equivalent to an extra 97p a week for the average Band D property.…
Air pollution: Johnstone challenges inaction
Alison Johnstone, Health and Wellbeing spokesperson for the Scottish Greens and MSP for Lothian, today (11 Jan) challenged the Scottish Government and local authorities over their inaction on air pollution highlighted by TV documentary “Car Sick”. The investigation, due to air on BBC1 this week, reveals that only 13 of the country’s 32 local authorities…
Greens take to the streets in march for climate justice and jobs
With climate talks kicking off in Paris Edinburgh Greens joined thousands of campaigners from all over Scotland in marching through the city. As the dangers of climate change continue to spiral and have very real and current effects, as binding targets continue to be missed or avoided altogether, and as collective international action remains elusive,the…
Green bid to protect lollipop crossings knocked back
A Green bid to reject controversial cuts to school lollipop crossings has been knocked back by the council’s finance committee today. Green councillor Gavin Corbett argued that the proposed removal of lunchtime crossings to save £104,000 in 2 years, should be taken off the table. His proposal, at Finance and Resources Committee, was backed by…
Johnstone queries Marketing Edinburgh chief hotel comments
Alison Johnstone, Scottish Green MSP for Lothian, today questioned comments by John Donnelly, chief executive of Marketing Edinburgh, in which he supported plans to turn the Royal High School into a luxury hotel and the controversial redevelopment of the St James Centre. Both projects have been criticised by heritage experts amid concerns that they could…
Housing: Green MSP critical of Lothian rent rises
Alison Johnstone, Scottish Green MSP for Lothian, has slammed the eye-watering rent increases in the region, calling for urgent Government action to ensure affordability in the private rented sector (PRS). Johnstone commented on new figures that show a 6.4% increase in rent for 2-bedroom properties in the region from 2014 to 2015, bringing rent up…
Lorne Street evictions: Johnstone lodges motion to support tenants
Alison Johnstone, Scottish Green MSP for Lothian, today lodged a motion at the Scottish Parliament calling for financial support for the 200 tenants of Lorne Street in Leith who face being evicted from their homes by the charity that owns their flats. The Agnes Hunter Trust wants to sell the properties, saying maintenance costs are…
Allan Park demolition: Johnstone praises community campaign
Alison Johnstone, Scottish Green MSP for Lothian, described today’s decision by Edinburgh city councillors to reject proposals to demolish a house at Allan Park Crescent at Meggetland in the south-west of the city as a victory for the local community’s campaign. After addressing today’s planning hearing, Alison said: “I’m pleased that this application has been…
Greens slam compulsory redundancy move in city council
Green councillors have urged the city council to stand firm on its pledge of no compulsory redundancies as it wrestles with a £126 million savings target over the next 4 years. In a blog party finance spokesperson Cllr Gavin Corbett argues that the case for abandoning the pledge, proposed at a meeting of the Council Finance…