The Scottish Parliament is now in dissolution ahead of the Scottish Parliamentary elections on May 6th. Any references to John as a MSP below were made prior to dissolution.
ScotRail Nationalisation Only First Step
John has welcomed the Scottish Government’s decision to take the railways under public ownership. Transport Secretary Michael Matheson has confirmed ministers will not renew Scotrail operator Abellio’s contract and instead run the railways under an arm’s length company. Responding to the announcement, Scottish Greens transport spokesperson John said: “Greens have long called for public ownership … Continue reading ScotRail Nationalisation Only First Step
Scottish Budget Deal
The Scottish Greens have agreed a major budget deal with the Scottish Government to tackle rising poverty, give frontline workers a pay rise and sow the seeds of a green recovery. Here’s what we’ve delivered. Pandemic Relief Payments To help tackle rising poverty, particularly amongst children and families, £100m will be allocated to Pandemic Relief … Continue reading Scottish Budget Deal
John Welcomes Rural Testing Expansion
Welcoming the announcement that 21 rural fire stations across the NHS Highland area are to be used as testing sites, following successful trials at Thurso and Lochgilphead, John said: “The Scottish Greens have consistently highlighted the importance of testing throughout the pandemic, as part of a robust test, trace and isolate system. It is essential … Continue reading John Welcomes Rural Testing Expansion
Rail for All
The Scottish Green Party has set out a proposal for the biggest rail investment programme Scotland has ever seen. Our fully costed £22bn plan would transform our railway, building a modern, zero-carbon network that is affordable an accessible for all. These plans are about making rail the natural choice for every journey, whether your commuting, … Continue reading Rail for All
The Pandemic has exposed society’s inequalities
The pandemic has brought into sharp relief many of the inequalities in our society. While the crisis brought new struggles for everyone, in most cases it was those on low incomes, in insecure work, or vulnerable for other reasons that bore the brunt of the virus’s devastation. There’s no doubt that working from home brought … Continue reading The Pandemic has exposed society’s inequalities
Equal Protection Law Comes Into force
Scotland will join more than 50 countries that provide children with the same legal protection from assault that adults enjoy when the Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Act 2019 comes into force tomorrow . The law, steered through the parliamentary process by John, was passed overwhelmingly by the Scottish Parliament last year. It removes the … Continue reading Equal Protection Law Comes Into force
Democracy and Catalonia
I recently lodged two motions in the Scottish Parliament on Catalonia or, more specifically, the actions of the Spanish state in Catalonia. The 2017 referendum resulted unprecedented international media attention for the Catalan independence movement, but while the world’s eyes have since turned elsewhere the fallout from that vote continues to this day. In the … Continue reading Democracy and Catalonia
Greens welcome step forward for animal welfare
Scottish Greens Rural and Island Communities Spokesperson John Finnie MSP has welcomed cross party agreement to mandate the use of CCTV in slaughterhouses hailing it an, “excellent animal welfare provision.” The Mandatory Use of Closed Circuit Television in Slaughterhouses (Scotland) Regulations 2020 were agreed at a meeting of the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Economy and Connectivity … Continue reading Greens welcome step forward for animal welfare
Greens welcome news Wales is to renationalise railways
The Scottish Greens have welcomed calls from the RMT union to renationalise Scotland's railways after the Welsh Government announced it would appoint a public operator to run rail services as a result of the private rail operator’s failure to meet its contractual obligations due to the massive drop in passenger numbers caused by Covid–19. Commenting, … Continue reading Greens welcome news Wales is to renationalise railways