STOP PRESS:- THURSDAY 18 FEB 2021 1330hrs The Minister has withdrawn the Licensing Regulation I launched the Homes First campaign in 2017 to highlight problems with the legislative and regulatory regime around short-term lets (STLs). Throughout my time as an…
Statement on the publication of evidence to the SGHHC Committee
Below is a statement from the Scottish Parliament in response to the votes this morning in the Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints on the publication of written evidence from Alex Salmond on the Ministerial Code. I…
Wrongful Termination Orders
In July 2019, the First Tier Tribunal issued an eviction order for a tenant living in a small studio flat in Edinburgh. The ground for eviction was that the landlord – along with his wife and daughter – wished to…
Rockall
In response to reports of Marine Scotland challenging Irish fishing boats in the 12-mile territorial seas around Rockall, I have lodged the following motion in Parliament. For more information on the legal backgound, see this blog by Richard Collins of…
Resignation from the Scottish Green Party
I have resigned from the Scottish Green Party. My resignation letter can be read here and is outlined below. Lorna Slater & Patrick Harvie MSP Co-Leaders Scottish Green Party 19b Graham Street EDINBURGH EH6 5QN cc. Membership Secretary 18 December…
Press release: soaring rents shows need for rent controls
Rising private rents across Scotland reveal the failure of the SNP’s flagship rent pressure zones policy and the need for proper rent controls, Scottish Greens housing spokesperson Andy Wightman has said. New stats published by the Scottish Government show that…
Pentland Hills Regional Park: outdoor infrastructure survey
In September 2020, the Scottish Parliament held a debate on ‘dirty camping’. Many MSPs spoke out against the poor behaviour their constituents had witnessed over the summer. This behaviour was caused not only by a lack of understanding about how…
Defamation and the Serious Harm test
Speech in Stage One debate (to see subtitles, switch them on in icon below vide) 9 minute read. The Defamation and Malicious Publication (Scotland) Bill was debated at Stage One in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday. I was given 3…
Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 (Tolerable Standard) (Extension of Criteria) Order 2019
Reading time: 5 minutes The Scottish Parliament is being asked to delay the implementation of regulations on smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. This follows an upswell in public concern over ‘new rules’ about fire alarms in privately owned homes. But…
Speech to SGP Autumn Conference 2020
Text of a 15 minute speech Good afternoon friends. I am delighted to be with you this morning at our autumn conference. As we prepare for a Scottish election next year and local elections the year after, green politics has…