Latest news with #ScottishGreen
Scotsman
2 days ago
- Politics
- Scotsman
Why thousands of Scots support Reform (and it's not because they're racist)
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... There have been many moments of parliamentary pantomime in Holyrood since 1999. Only two days ago, a growling Douglas Ross MSP was thrown out of the chamber for talking over John Swinney at the weekly session of First Minister's Questions. And who can forget the sight of women's rights campaigner Elaine Miller who, from her vantage point in the public gallery, lifted her skirt to expose her merkin to show her disgust at the MSPs' decision to pass the Gender Recognition Reform Bill? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad By Elaine's admittedly high standards – she is a part-time stand-up comic after all – Wednesday's urgent question by Patrick Harvie was pretty tame. There were no gasps of horror as the co-leader of the Scottish Greens got to his feet, at least none that were audible. Scottish Green MSPs Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater had urgent concerns about the Scottish Parliament's 'facilities' this week (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell) | Getty Images 'Extremist fringe' During the 15-minute debate that ensued, no MSP or disgruntled observer exposed bare flesh. No voices were raised in anger. No one was banished from the chamber. But it was a farce all the same, because Harvie's coy yet 'urgent' question was about the use of the parliament's 'facilities' by MSPs and staff. For facilities, read toilets. His concern centred round a recent edict by the parliament's Corporate Body which declared that, for the foreseeable future, 'facilities' designated as male or female will be based on 'biological sex'. There will also be additional gender-neutral 'facilities' for those MSPs, staff and public who identify as transgender or non-binary. A sensible move one might think, following the recent Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman. But Harvie was having none of it, getting up on his high horse to compare the Corporate Body – made up of the Presiding Officer and four MSPs, including his Scottish Green colleague Maggie Chapman – to the 'extremist fringe of the United States Republican Party'. A tad hyperbolic, even for him. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A handful of equally outraged MSPs chipped in, with Alex-Cole Hamilton, leader of the Lib Dems no less, demanding that no one should be asked to show their birth certificate before spending a penny. Much to my surprise, Lorna Slater, a former government minister, revealed there is a lively internet conspiracy that she is a trans woman and asked if she will require a medical examination prior to using a toilet. Education, health, cost of living Veteran MSP Christine Grahame, who was responding on behalf of the Corporate Body, kept her cool in the face of such daft questions, but an exasperated Russell Findlay took to his feet to express his impatience about this 'farcical waste of time'. The Tory leader said: 'The people of Scotland expect politicians to focus on what matters – rising household bills, their children's education, getting a general practitioner appointment, fixing the roads and keeping communities safe, yet the priority for out-of-touch SNP, Labour, Lib Dem and Green MSPs is an urgent debate about the Holyrood toilets.' If the people of Scotland had been watching Scottish Parliament TV instead of getting on with their lives, you might have heard a resounding cheer across the country at Findlay's intervention. Harvie's urgent question may have only taken up 15 minutes of parliamentary time, but it was a telling snapshot of Scotland's political class which exposed the gulf between them and the rest of us. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The cultural divide between MSPs with their lanyards and pet causes and voters struggling to cope with the economic and social upheaval of the last decade could not be more stark than it was on Wednesday. While MSPs are fretting about where they should pee, we are worrying about whether our granny will get the social care she needs or if our children will get the education they deserve. Little wonder that Nigel Farage and his Reform party have spooked every political leader from John Swinney to Keir Starmer. Farage's popular rhetoric, cynical though it is, appeals to an electorate that is disillusioned with smug politicians so immersed in their private, elitist world that they are blind to what is happening in the real one. 'Litany of failures' The majority of people who will vote Reform at Thursday's Hamilton by-election are not racists, as some would have us believe. Most will not even have noticed Reform's despicable campaign ad, which crudely argued that the Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar will 'prioritise' Pakistani people. As former Labour MP Tom Harris argued in a newspaper column earlier this week, most voters are 'simply sick of the litany of failures and disappointments which have been served up by successive governments…' He went on: 'Voters don't support Reform because of their policies; they support Reform because it is not one of the old parties.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Scotland's leading election guru, Sir John Curtice, doesn't think that Reform will win. He was reported this week as saying that while it's not impossible, it would be a 'spectacular' result if they managed to pull it off. 'I think even coming second would be quite an achievement,' he said. But he pointed out that Scotland is a different world to the one 12 months ago that saw Scottish Labour pick up 37 seats at the general election. And recent polls suggest that Reform will be the second biggest party at Holyrood after the 2026 election, with 20 per cent of the popular vote. Nearly 60 years ago, another Hamilton by-election heralded a new era in Scottish politics, when Winnie Ewing became only the second SNP MP to win a seat at Westminster. You can trace a clear path from her legendary 1967 victory to the 2014 referendum.
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Record
Call made to stop rich "hoarding" Stirling properties
An MSP has claimed too many young people are forced to leave the communities they have grown up in due to housing shortages and high house prices - caused by second homes and holiday lets. Reducing the number of second homes in Stirling could help to tackle the housing crisis says a local MSP. Mark Ruskell, Scottish Green MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, says making it harder for the wealthy to 'hoard' homes by increasing their tax is crucial to tackle the issue in Stirlingshire. The most recent data from the Scottish Government shows that second homes and short-term lets make up 2.5 per cent of all housing in Stirling. This is higher than the national average (1.8 per cent). At the same time, a housing emergency has been declared across Scotland and over 10,000 children are in temporary accommodation. Second homes are more common in areas of natural beauty, including Callander, Aberfoyle and Bridge of Allan. In many cases young people are forced to leave the communities they have grown up in due to housing shortages and high house prices caused by second homes and holiday lets. Mr Ruskell says the Scottish Greens have already taken action to reduce the spread of holiday homes and short term lets, doubling the tax paid when buying a home for these purposes and giving councils the power to double council tax on these properties. This reduced the number of second homes by 2455 in Scotland last year compared to 2023 and raised tens of millions of pounds for public services like the NHS and schools. Speaking in Parliament last week, Mr Ruskell raised concerns about the expansion of second home ownership, and called for action to protect communities and help first time house buyers by reducing the number of holiday homes. He said: 'Scotland is in a housing crisis. Everyone in Parliament agrees on this, but it's only the Scottish Greens delivering the changes needed to tackle it. 'The fact that we have hundreds of second homes and short term lets across Stirlingshire, outstripping the national average, is a major reason why this crisis is so much worse locally. Wealthy people buying up properties they won't live in are pushing out young families in particular. 'These houses either lie empty for most of the year as holiday homes, or they are hoarded by landlords making a fortune from Airbnb-style short term lets. Either way, its first-time buyers who are pushed out by those with much more financial muscle. 'There are 10,000 children stuck in temporary accommodation, but 49,000 second homes and short term lets. This is a crisis which can clearly be solved. We'll only do that by taking on the wealthy few, those who pay very little tax while hoovering up the houses which other people need. 'The current Housing Bill is a watershed moment in the Scottish Parliament. Thanks to the Scottish Greens it will deliver controls on rent increases and new rights and protections for renters. 'However, it must go further to tackle the vast inequality gap that we see between the rich and the vulnerable in Stirlingshire. 'The Scottish Government must listen to us and act boldly to stop the hollowing out of our communities.' In his speech, Mr Ruskell said his area's communities welcomed people who come to make their lives in permanent homes, but that more second homes were artificially inflating the housing market and pricing out locals, particularly families taking their first steps in the housing market. 'Adult children often have to stay in the family home while saving for a deposit or even to move out of their community, away from friends and family, at a stage in life when support networks are incredibly important. 'I also see older people struggling. They can become trapped in unsuitable housing because there are few properties available to downsize into and they sometimes end up in precarious tenancies in poorly serviced park homes. There are few options for people in many rural communities. 'It is in those hotspots that we can most clearly see the impact of second home ownership. Shops close because of a lack of regular custom, schools have dwindling numbers of young people, leading to their eventual closure, and residents no longer have neighbours.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ross accuses Johnstone of ‘constitutional bias' after being kicked out of FMQs
Douglas Ross has accused Holyrood's Presiding Officer of constitutional bias after being kicked out from the Scottish Parliament's chamber during a boisterous First Minister's Questions. The former Scottish Tory leader claimed Alison Johnstone — who was elected in 2021 as a Scottish Green MSP — treats pro-union parties more harshly than those who backed Yes in the 2014 independence referendum. However, a spokesperson for Holyrood said the MSP had been repeatedly warned about his heckling. READ MORE: Former Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross kicked out of Holyrood chamber Soaring welfare bill, ScotRail fares and tax gap heap pressure on Scottish Budget Bid to add 'Second Hampden' to list of nationally important historic sites The row began after Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay questioned the First Minister on the impact of net zero policies on agriculture. In response, John Swinney said Brexit had harmed farmers, prompting Mr Ross to shout: 'Swinney deflecting again.' Ms Johnstone halted proceedings and said: 'Mr Ross, you have persistently refused to abide by our standing orders and I would ask you to leave this chamber and you are excluded for the rest of the day.' Mr Ross did not initially leave, forcing the Presiding Officer to pause proceedings again to insist he depart. Here is the moment Douglas Ross was kicked out of the Chamber today during FMQs @heraldscotland — Hannah Brown (@HannahMargBrown) May 29, 2025 Speaking to journalists afterwards, Mr Ross said he was 'very frustrated' by the decision. 'For a member to be expelled from the chamber without being warned at all, I think may be unprecedented. I have been warned in the past, as has John Swinney. I have been warned quite a lot recently, as has John Swinney, for shouting and heckling and others and asking questions, as have many SNP backbenchers and frontbenchers.' Asked if he was questioning the Presiding Officer's neutrality, Mr Ross replied: 'Yes.' He said MSPs from other parties had messaged him to express concern about Ms Johnstone's conduct. 'They were just surprised by the actions of the Presiding Officer. We are a legislature here — we are not a library. "There is going to be some discussion from the benches around the respective party spokespeople. That is what people watch politics for. Now, sometimes it goes beyond the pale and action has to be taken. "But I do not recall ever seeing a Presiding Officer take no action to try to minimise that behaviour or to warn any members before excluding them — and she reached straight for that option today, which for me raises serious concerns. "The speed at which she did it made me almost think it was premeditated. 'It did not matter what I did today. I wonder if she was just going to go straight for that. And certainly, by looking at it, there was no hesitation from Alison Johnstone to reach for that straightaway.' He added: 'I think we have got to look at her actions against Conservatives in general, and how she has responded to comments from SNP ministers. "For example, the First Minister is apparently allowed to call the Conservatives a disgusting party with no sanction. "But Russell Findlay was making comments about the Green Party, which she immediately slapped down. "So it does raise questions about the consistency in her decision-making and how she is treating members of different parties.' He said: 'Alison Johnstone, formerly being a Green Party member, said that she would leave her party allegiances at the door, but [she is] taking very different approaches to nationalist politicians who step out of line compared to unionist politicians who step out of line.' The Scottish LibDems said they continued to support Ms Johnstone. Alex Cole-Hamilton said: 'If Douglas Ross does not want to be in the Scottish Parliament any more he should just resign. 'Anyone watching First Minister's Questions will know that for weeks and weeks Douglas Ross has been provoking the Presiding Officer in the hope that he would get thrown out, in a cynical bid for relevance. 'The Presiding Officer was quite right to eject him and my party has full confidence in her impartiality.' A Scottish Parliament spokesperson said: "The Presiding Officer has warned Mr Ross on repeated occasions recently about his behaviour in the Chamber. 'Due to his persistent refusal to respect the rules of Parliament, the Member was asked to leave the Chamber. This suspension is for the remainder of the day.' On 8 May the Presiding Officer told the MSP, Mr Ross, "if I hear you once more, you will leave this chamber.' On 22 April she said: "Mr Ross, I will not ask again that you refrain from shouting from your seat when you have not been called to speak. That is the last time that I will ask you.' Later that same day, Ms Johnston said: "Mr Ross, would you like to leave the chamber? If you wish to remain here, you must adhere to our standing orders.' Standing Order 7.3 of Scottish Parliament Standing Orders sets out that MSPs "shall at all times conduct themselves in an orderly manner" and that any member who breaks this rule "may be ordered by the Presiding Officer to leave the chamber and may be excluded from the chamber."
The National
16-05-2025
- Business
- The National
SNP Government issue statement after Loch Lomond planning decision
The Lomond Banks project had been rejected by the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority, but was appealed to the Scottish Government to make the final decision. On Friday, a planning reporter deferred the final decision on the development – but said he was minded to grant planning permission in principle if a set of 49 conditions could be met, including a deal being struck between the national park and the developers. READ MORE: What do locals think of Flamingo Land's Loch Lomond development plans? A Scottish Government spokesperson outlined the current situation, saying: 'An independent reporter has issued a decision intimating that he is minded to grant planning permission in principle for the proposal subject to 49 planning conditions subject to a legal agreement being reached between the national park authority and developer to secure the employment and environment issues that are set out in the Lomond Promise. 'As the appeal remains live, it would not be appropriate to comment further on the merits of the proposed development.' The firm behind Flamingo Land had applied to build a £43.5 million leisure complex including two hotels, more than 100 lodges, a waterpark, and a monorail built on the site at Balloch, on the southern edge of Loch Lomond. The development has been proposed for years, with Lomond Banks pulling out in 2019 before returning with a new application, which has proven controversial with the local community. Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer campaigned against the development (Image: Colin Mearns) A campaign spearheaded by Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer garnered more than 150,000 signatures, he claimed, while the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the National Trust and the Woodland Trust also lodged objections. Speaking on Friday, Greer hit out at what he called an 'anti-democratic outrage'. He went on: 'I cannot believe that Flamingo Land's destructive and immensely unpopular mega-resort is being given the go-ahead by Government officials. 'It was the most unpopular planning application in Scottish history and will cause irreversible damage to the world-famous local environment at Loch Lomond. 'Their destructive plans were unanimously rejected by the National Park's board, opposed by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the National Trust for Scotland, the Woodland Trust, the Park's expert planning officers and 155,000 people who joined our Save Loch Lomond campaign. 'This greedy developer would not take no for an answer and I am shocked that Government officials have put Flamingo Land's interests above the need to protect Loch Lomond. READ MORE: Flamingo Land's 'own assessments show issues with Loch Lomond plans' 'We are urgently considering our options for continuing this fight. I will leave no stone unturned in the campaign to save Loch Lomond.' Jim Paterson, the development director for Lomond Banks, said: 'This is a real milestone moment for the Lomond Banks vision, and has been a long time in the making. 'Our proposals have been informed by more than two years of positive engagement with the local community and key stakeholders. At the heart of our plans is a commitment to sustainable investment, local jobs, and a long-term partnership with the area, backed by our legally binding Lomond Promise to ensure the future prosperity of Balloch and beyond. 'We are delighted by the decision made by the Scottish Government reporter today. As we look beyond today's decision, we remain committed to being a strong and valued contributor to the local economy and we look forward to progressing with our proposals as we now consider detailed planning.'
STV News
16-05-2025
- Business
- STV News
Flamingo Land resort receives approval from Scottish Government
The controversial Flamingo Land resort proposals have been granted approval by the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government Reporter gave the multi-million pound water park development for the banks of Loch Lomond 'planning permission in principle' on Friday. In other words, Flamingo Land will be allowed to proceed to the next stage of planning and scrutiny and reach an agreement with the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority – which rejected the proposals last year. Although the Reporter 'had regard to all of the points that have been raised in objection', they said those objections provide 'no grounds to depart from the presumption in favour of development that accords with the development plan'. The Yorkshire-based theme park operator Flamingo Land celebrated the decision as a 'real milestone moment for the Lomond Banks vision'. But Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer said he was 'shocked' and slammed the decision as an 'anti-democratic outrage'. 'I cannot believe that Flamingo Land's destructive and immensely unpopular mega-resort is being given the go-ahead by Government officials,' he said on Friday. 'Their destructive plans were unanimously rejected by the National Park's board, opposed by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the National Trust for Scotland, the Woodland Trust, the Park's expert planning officers and 155,000 people who joined our Save Loch Lomond campaign.' More than 150,000 people previously objected to the development of the Flamingo Land waterpark on the banks of Loch Lomond. It was also formerly branded 'the most unpopular planning application in history' by the Scottish Greens. Jim Paterson, development director for Lomond Banks, said the proposals have been informed by 'more than two years of positive engagement' with local communities and stakeholders. 'At the heart of our plans is a commitment to sustainable investment, local jobs, and a long-term partnership with the area, backed by our legally binding Lomond Promise to ensure the future prosperity of Balloch and beyond,' he said on Friday. Friends of Loch Lomond and the Trosachs Flamingo Land could impact lochside roads and communities. Developers are hoping to create a 'world-class family holiday village' on the banks of Loch Lomond in Balloch, West Dunbartonshire. The current plans include a monorail, two hotels, 104 wooden lodges, up to 62 riverfront and woodland lodges, a pool, water park, and spa, restaurants, cafes, and shops, a craft brewery and beer tap hall, 372 parking spaces, outdoor event, performance and barbeque areas, and more. 'Despite what you may have heard, there are no rollercoasters, theme park attractions or flamingos earmarked for the development,' developers said on their website. The Scottish Green party previously described these plans as 'garish and completely inappropriate' for the area. Planning permission in principle does not mean that Flamingo Land will be able to proceed to development. However, it is a major milestone. Flamingo Land Ltd will now be faced with drawing up full, comprehensive plans for their resort and water park for consideration by Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. 'We are delighted by the decision made by the Scottish Government reporter today,' Mr Paterson said. 'As we look beyond today's decision, we remain committed to being a strong and valued contributor to the local economy and we look forward to progressing with our proposals as we now consider detailed planning.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
