Communities will continue to pay the price for the obstinacy of the SNP & Tories over Council Tax
The Scottish Greens say tonight’s vote in Parliament by SNP and Tory MSPs to duck reform of the unfair, outdated Council Tax means households and communities will continue to pay the price.
Johnstone highlights Brexit threat to Scottish health and social care
Alison Johnstone MSP, Health spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, is warning of serious damage to Scotland’s health and social care services, pointing to evidence being given to Holyrood’s Health Committee inquiry into Brexit.
Council budget needs to be more “ambitious for Edinburgh”, say Green councillors
Edinburgh’s Green councillors have urged the council to carry the fight on budgets to the Scottish Government.
Greens secure budget agreement on council funds and public sector pay
The Scottish Greens are leading the change in Scottish politics, according to party co-convener Patrick Harvie.
Johnstone calls for extended Picardy Place consultation
Alison Johnstone, Green MSP for Lothian, has called for an extension to the public consultation on City of Edinburgh Council’s plans to redesign the Picardy Place junction, with one of the City’s key gateways set to be transformed into a large, car-dominated gyratory.
Budget: Greens warn Finance Secretary over unfinished business
Ahead of this week’s statement (Thu 14 Dec) from the Scottish Government on its proposed tax and spending plans for 2018-19, Green MSPs are warning ministers that they cannot support a budget that cuts funding to local council services such as education, social care, transport and leisure. During last year’s budget process, the Green MSPs…
Homes First: Wightman launches campaign to control short-term lets
Andy Wightman MSP, Housing spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, today launched his “Homes First” campaign to control the rapid and unregulated growth of short-term lets, where owners of residential properties offer them as holiday accommodation.
Green councillor hails Museum on the Mound u-turn
Green councillor Alex Staniforth has welcomed the decision by Lloyds Banking Group to reverse its proposal to close the “Museum on the Mound at the end of 2017. Cllr Staniforth has led the campaign to keep the museum opening and only last week pressed the city council to put pressure on Lloyds. A public petition…
Music school closure questioned by Greens
Green MSPs and councillors representing the capital have reacted angrily to a proposal by the council to close the City of Edinburgh Music School. Andy Wightman MSP says that while he recognises the “serious funding challenges” facing the council, he could see no sense in the proposal from an “educational point of view”. Claire Miller,…
Greens press on Sick Kids sell-off
Alison Johnstone, Scottish Green MSP for Lothian, today (21 Sep) used First Minister’s Questions to highlight the “gazumping” of one of Scotland’s first major urban community buy-outs, the Sick Kids Hospital site in Edinburgh.
Short term lets in £10m a year tax break
New analysis by Andy Wightman MSP shows that as visitors descend on Edinburgh for festival season, £10.6million of taxes are being avoided this year due to the boom in private homes being let out as holiday accommodation.
City Deal: cash welcome but opportunities missed, say Greens
Green councillors have described the City Region Deal as a long way short of what it could have been. Green councillor Melanie Main said: “Of course £600m is an awful lot of money, so any additional investment has to be welcome. However, the truth is that the offer is less than what was expected and…
Green councillor shock as “Grenfell” cladding discovered at Fountainbridge flats
The same cladding as used on Grenfell Tower in London has been found on newly-built student flats at Bainfield in the Fountainbridge area of Edinburgh. Investigations at the 3 year old flats, which house over 700 Napier University students next to the Union Canal, have uncovered Grenfell style cladding in around a quarter of the…
After the silence: safer cycling
Green councillors and MSPs have called for clear and concrete action to make Edinburgh and other cities safer for cycling. The call follows a minute’s silence to mark the death of young medical student Zhi Min Soh on her bike in Edinburgh City Centre last week. The minute’s silence was attended by hundreds of cyclists,…
Safe cycling: Johnstone raises Edinburgh fatality with First Minister
Alison Johnstone, Scottish Green MSP for Lothian, today (1 June) used First Minister’s Questions to raise concerns about safe cycling infrastructure following yesterday’s fatal accident in Edinburgh in which a twenty-four year old woman came off her bike on tram tracks and was hit by a minibus. Cycling campaigners have claimed that the number of…