Latest news with #MaggieChapman
The Herald Scotland
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Scot Gov slammed for 'shameful' drop of winter eviction ban
The aim of the amendment was to prevent people from being made homeless during the harshest, coldest months of the year where weather conditions can often be life-threatening. However, during considerations of amendments on the bill, MSPs decided not to include this clause. Reacting to the vote, Maggie Chapman has said this risks making more people homeless. The Scottish Greens MSP said: 'It is shameful that the Scottish Government has voted against a winter evictions ban. While we may be approaching summer with the coldest months ahead far from our minds, for people at risk of homelessness, the threat of a winter without a roof over their heads is real and fast approaching. 'Every winter, too many people and families are kicked out of their homes, sometimes for unwarranted reasons by landlords who don't take their obligations seriously. 'We live in an era of sky-rocketing rents, high utility bills and low wages that don't keep pace. The cost of living crisis is still very much with us. Renters need protections just as much as they did when inflation was at its height. 'But instead of giving renters more rights, the Scottish Government has made it clear that it is on the side of landlords. It has favoured the wealthy over working people, which will only serve to deepen inequality and put more people at risk of homelessness. 'I will bring these important protections back at Stage 3 of the Bill, giving the Government and opposition parties the chance to protect people and their families facing crisis, and help to ease the ongoing housing emergency in Scotland.' Living Rent said the decision was one which showed the Scottish Government is siding with landlords "at the expense of tenants". Aditi Jehangir, from Living Rent said: "All evictions are stressful and scary. And during winter, when tenants struggle to heat their homes, when it's cold outside, and the festive season is ramping up, evictions are particularly cruel. In the middle of a housing emergency, evictions are a sure promise of growing homelessness. "To vote against greater protections for tenants during the harshest months of the year is a vote against protecting the most vulnerable. It's a vote that protects landlords. The Scottish government is siding with them at the expense of tenants. This is just part of a wider move to strip the Housing Bill of any meaningful and significant protections for tenants during a devastating housing crisis. It does not bode well ahead of a Holyrood election where housing will play a deciding role and where clear and effective changes are crucial." Ministers have said the consultation on the Housing bill indicated there were other times which present major financial and emotional pressure - not just the winter months. They added that measures included in the housing bill mean that a court or tribunal will consider if there should be a delay to an eviction and seasonal impact could be taken into consideration. A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'Scotland provides renters with some of the strongest protections from eviction anywhere in the UK. 'We explored greater restrictions on evictions during the winter period as part of our new deal for tenants. Consultation indicated that there are other times of the year which present major financial and emotional pressures for people. 'The measures in the Housing Bill ensure that the tribunal or court will consider whether there should be a delay to the enforcement of an eviction at any time of year, although seasonal impact is a specific factor to be taken into account. This approach will give greater protection for tenants throughout the year.' The Housing Bill is currently at Stage 2 after it was introduced by the Scottish Government last year. It covers protections for tenants, preventing homelessness, and other housing matters. Earlier this month, the Scottish Parliament's Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee voted to force the Scottish Government to include student tenancies in its planned rent control legislation. Cross-party MSPs backed amendments to the Housing (Scotland) Bill that would extend rent control powers to include student accommodation – both purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) and university-owned halls. The bill also includes rights such as for private and social housing tenants to request to keep a pet and for private housing tenants to make changes to the property they are renting. It also includes changes to other matters affecting tenants such as allowing a single joint tenant to end a joint tenancy.
The National
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
Scots tenants 'should not be restricted from keeping pets by landlords
The party has lodged amendments to the Housing (Scotland) Bill, currently making its way through the Scottish Parliament, to make it easier for renters to keep pets and service animals in their homes. Current rules mean that if a tenant wants to keep a pet, they must make a request to their landlord, who has 42 days to respond. The Scottish Greens amendment would reduce this to 14 days. And, no response from the landlord would be taken as permission. These changes are backed by charity organisations such as Dogs Trust, Cats Protection and Sight Scotland. READ MORE: Angela Rayner won't say if she thinks Israel is breaking international law MSP Maggie Chapman, who lodged the amendments, said: 'Pets are part of the family, and in some cases are working to keep people safe every day. 'Dogs, cats and other animals are important for many people's physical and mental health, and they play an important role in decreasing loneliness. 'In a world where many feel isolated, having a pet for companionship in return for our care can make us feel valued and get us out of the house more often too.' Chapman added that tenants have 'every right' to keep pets without having to ask permission from landlords. 'Too often, requests are ignored or delayed which leads to uncertainty and stress for people with pets, or people hoping to have one,' she said. (Image: PA) 'That is why I want to amend the Bill so that faster responses are given, and permission granted automatically if no response is received. 'Guide dogs and service animals that detect seizures and other health conditions play a crucial role in the health and wellbeing of many. They are vital companions which landlords should not be able to forbid from living in homes where they are needed. 'Every step the Scottish Greens are taking in this Bill is to boost renters' rights to live in the homes they pay for and fully utilise the space, without having landlords call all of the shots. 'I hope my colleagues from across the Parliament will join me and support these changes to improve renters rights and lives overall.' The Housing Bill also contains plans for rent controls. READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon says Supreme Court ruling 'massively misinterpreted' The Scottish Government's plan would see increases capped by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate of inflation plus 1%, up to a maximum of 6%. Meanwhile, the Greens proposals would instead cap rent by the CPI, earnings growth or 6%, whichever is lowest. The amendments are set to be scrutinised on Tuesday by the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee. We previously told how an investigation by The National found that hundreds of landlords tried to raise rents above limits set by the Scottish Government, before the protections ended earlier this year.
The Herald Scotland
12-05-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Not My Scotland: what the anti-royal protesters keep getting wrong
There were similar protests in London and Cardiff at the same time; the Not My King protesters have also become a regular fixture at royal events. In 2023, I was in St Giles' Cathedral to report on the Scottish coronation service and I remember the congregation stopping for silent reflection, except it wasn't silent because you could hear the chants of the protesters outside: Not Our King, Not Our King. Part of me thought: free speech, fair enough. Another part of me thought: show some respect. The central argument the protestors advance, that we should have a republic instead of a monarchy, is perfectly reasonable; indeed, if we were starting from scratch and were given a flipchart and a sharpie and asked to come up with ideas for what the head of state should look like, we wouldn't come up with a dude in a crown. We also wouldn't come up with the idea that the head of state should be the son or daughter of the previous one. None of it's logical, which is why new countries go for elected heads of state rather than kings and queens. But old countries like the UK aren't the result of planning meetings with flipcharts and sharpies, they're they result of conflict and history and heritage and compromise and setbacks, and blood to be honest, and if you have a fairly conservative outlook – and most Scots do, whatever you say – you change what you have with care. The monarchy is not ideal. The Union is not ideal. The parliamentary system is not ideal. But before I vote for change, you're going to have to convince me that the alternatives would be better, and that the costs – financial, social, cultural, personal – wouldn't be too great. It's this realistic outlook, a sense of the country as it actually is, that the protesters on the hill, the republicans, will have to overcome if they're ever to achieve their aim, and it looks like a tall order. Graham Smith, the chief executive of Republic, was complaining, in a pretty mean-spirited way I thought, that the Royals had 'hijacked' the VE Day celebrations and made it all about them, but he also said his movement's goal was to abolish the monarchy 'in the next few decades', which sounds like someone who knows the situation is unlikely to change soon. And it's because of who we are. The conservative but realistic population of Britain says: would the alternative be better? let's just leave things as they are eh. Read more It seems to me that the Scottish protesters in particular also keep getting a fundamental point wrong in their attempts to advance their case. First of all, it doesn't help that one of their spokespeople was Maggie Chapman, whose credibility as a parliamentarian has been fatally undermined by her attack on the Supreme Court. It's also a bit rich of the protesters to complain that the monarchy is anti-democratic and remote when Ms Chapman was only saved from expulsion from the equalities committee by her own vote, cast remotely. It's this kind of stuff that people look at and think: would the alternatives to monarchy be any better? Rallies like the one on Calton Hill suffer as well from a tendency that's plagued the independence movement too: the failure to create a broad church, or even try to. Ten years ago, the Yes campaign became conflated with a whole range of left-wing causes and idealism, which was a turn-off for more conservative voters, who began to think: Not My Scotland. But it also missed the point that Yes could only win if it built a case that would appeal to people on the left and the right. A similar mistake is being made with the republican movement. As I say, there's a rational, reasonable case to be made for republicanism, just as there is for independence, but then out comes Maggie Chapman, eyes spinning, and Tommy Sheridan, teeth clenched, and it all starts to look like an extension of the irrational, extreme left. One of the speakers on Calton Hill was Jemma Campbell of Scottish Socialist Youth who epitomises how the causes are conflated. 'We have to come together to resist far-right elitism,' she said. 'We have to call for an independent socialist republic in Scotland.' (Image: Maggie Chapman at the protest) That sort of stuff is going to get them nowhere to be honest because the people who could be their potential allies in a rational case for republicanism do not meet their test: they are not left-wing enough, they are 'far-right'. To be fair, such attitudes are widespread and are part of our fractious times – them and us. But deep, profound change, like ending the union or abolishing the monarchy, will only happen when the them and the us draw together round a cause that genuinely attracts broad support. So, even though the protesters may not want to listen to this, let me mention something else that happened during the coronation service at St Giles' Cathedral. The Rt Rev Sally Foster-Fulton, Moderator at the time, delivered a sermon that seemed to directly address the problems of the fractious age. She urged people to 'chose collaboration and trust over fear-filed circling of our wagons'. 'How narrow our sight,' she went on, 'and how monochrome our understanding when we do not embrace the richness of different perspectives. We should learn to listen to each other, not just respond.' The republican protesters won't have heard the sermon – they were outside chanting 'Not Our King' – but even now they could draw a lesson from it. No one's suggesting they should ditch their republican views, but if they continue the circling of their wagons and conflate support for the monarchy with 'far-right elitism', they're going to remain a niche cause forever. They will also need to recognise, as all radicals have to in the end, that political success only comes when a movement includes the richness of different perspectives. The campaigners up on Calton Hill may dream of an independent socialist republic, but down here, we take a look and think: nah.
The National
12-05-2025
- Business
- The National
Huge majority of Scots back rent controls to stop soaring rents
Commissioned by the Scottish Greens, the survey revealed Scots want to stop landlords from continuing to hike rents. We previously told how hundreds of landlords in Scotland attempted to raise rents above the 12% limit set by Scottish ministers. The measures ended on April 1, with any tenant seeking to challenge a rent hike will now have his assessed according to open market prices. READ MORE: How are Scottish parties set for Holyrood election? John Curtice's view The Housing (Scotland) Bill, which contains plans for rent controls, is currently making its way through Holyrood. The polling, carried out by Diffley, showed that 74% of people in Scotland support rent controls. It also found that 83% believe rents are too high compared to income levels. And, 69% back Scottish Green plans to force landlords to sell long-term derelict land and housing that they are sitting on. (Image: Agency) Exclusive polling for The National in April found that the majority of Scots believe tenants should be given stronger protections. The Scottish Government's plans for rent controls would allow landlords to increase rents at the rate of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), a measure of inflation, plus 1%, up to a maximum increase of 6%. However, the Greens have lodged amendments ensuring that rents can't rise faster than incomes, if MSPs back them. The Greens proposals would instead cap rent by the CPI, earnings growth or 6%, whichever is lowest. This would mean rents would increase no more than the cost-of-living or increases in wages. In areas where rents are already too high, local councils would be able to put in place lower increases, freezes or rent reductions. READ MORE: Labour closing care recruitment from abroad will be 'devastating' Scottish Green MSP Maggie Chapman said: 'It is no wonder that there is such strong support for rent controls. The housing market is completely broken, and it is renters who are paying the price. It underlines just how crucial it is that we take action. "We've all seen how much damage is being done by rogue landlords who have been given carte blanche to line their pockets through massive rent increases. 'Not only does this hurt renters, often pushing them into poverty or even homelessness, but it hurts our economy as people have less money to spend. 'This is why the Scottish Greens implemented a rent freeze and eviction ban during Covid, saving people thousands of pounds, and it's why we so strongly opposed the SNP ending the protections that we put in place afterwards.' (Image: PA) Chapman said the Housing Bill was an opportunity to 'stop the exploitation of renters and end rip-off rents'. 'We must seize it,' she added. 'We must offer people and their families some financial stability, and less worry about losing the roof over their heads. Homes are for living in and not for profiteering. We need to make unfair and unaffordable rent hikes a thing of the past.' READ MORE: Pope Leo calls for Gaza ceasefire in first Sunday blessing A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'Supporting tenants is a priority for the Scottish Government. "Scotland already has some of the strongest rights in the UK for tenants, and we are taking forward measures in the Housing Bill to support the introduction of longer-term rent control where this is needed. 'This year, the Scottish Government will also invest £2 million through the Empty Homes Partnership as part of its work with councils to drive down the number of privately owned long-term empty homes.'
The Courier
08-05-2025
- Politics
- The Courier
Dundee University ‘bullying' claim after Supreme Court ruling
The University of Dundee has urged students and staff who feel 'bullied or harassed' to seek support after an anonymous whistleblower alleged she was targeted for having gender-critical views. The whistleblower, who claims to be a medical student, says she had been 'intimidated' in the wake of last month's landmark ruling by the Supreme Court that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex in the equality act. Her allegations first emerged on X after being shared by Connie Shaw, a gender-critical campaigner from Leeds suspended from her university radio show for expressing gender-critical beliefs. Dundee University confirmed to The Courier it has received the complaint but is unable to make direct contact with the student due to her anonymity. We have also attempted to reach out to the whistleblower. 'Bullied and intimidated' In her complaint letter, she claims staff and students won't accept her view that 'sex is immutable'. She said: 'I am a student at Dundee University who has been bullied and intimidated by the refusal of both the majority of students, and numerous members of staff, to accept that it is a perfectly legitimate position to believe, and in fact know, that sex is immutable, unchangeable, and is a binary development pathway.' She took aim at the Dundee University Students' Association (DUSA), which expressed its disappointment at the judgement by the UK's top court and said it stood 'in solidarity' with the city's trans community. The student claims DUSA's response was 'polarised' and supports a 'specific political and ideological position'. She also criticised the student union for encouraging others to attend a protest held in Dundee against the Supreme Court verdict. Incoming Dundee University rector Maggie Chapman at a protest over the ruling. Image: Steve BRown/DC Thomson She went on to criticise the attendance of incoming university rector Maggie Chapman at the demonstration. Ms Chapman, also a Green MSP, branded the Supreme Court's decision 'bigoted'. She successfully fought a bid to remove her from Holyrood's equalities committee over the row. One trans activist at the Dundee protest branded Harry Potter author JK Rowling a 'heinous creepy old b***h' for her gender critical views. Ms Rowling hit back, slamming the foul-mouthed attack. The whistleblower urged Dundee University to make a public statement saying that 'bullying of those who choose to observe the material reality of sex' will not be allowed. She wrote: 'I would like to be able to openly make this complaint but, given past experience, I am too afraid.' The Courier has contacted Ms Chapman and DUSA for comment. University response A University of Dundee spokesperson said: 'We are always concerned to hear of any student or staff member who feels they have faced any bullying or harassment and we would encourage them to seek support, which is available to everyone in our community. 'Bullying and harassment is not acceptable in our community.' On Tuesday, the institution released a statement to staff and students in response to 'concerns and questions' about the Supreme Court ruling. It read: 'We remain committed to being an inclusive, supportive, and respectful organisation that welcomes everyone into our community, including those who are trans, nonbinary, and intersex. 'Since the judgement we have engaged with our LGBT+ staff network and other colleagues in considering the impacts of this judgement. 'We will wait for the updated statutory guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) prior to considering whether changes to policy or process are required.' The debate over trans rights has intensified this year. Fife nurse Sandie Peggie. Image: Alan Richardson/DC Thomson. NHS Fife has been sued by Sandie Peggie, a nurse suspended following a changing room row with trans doctor Beth Upton. A&E medic Ms Peggie told Dr Upton she felt uncomfortable at the two sharing a locker room on Christmas Eve in 2023 at Kirkcaldy's Victoria Hospital. The tribunal is set to reconvene this July. The EHRC warned it could pursue NHS Fife if the health board does not update its guidance on single-sex changing rooms. The body published updated guidance following the Supreme Court ruling.
