Ross Greer

If Ministers are serious about their commitment to boycott and divest from Israel, they need to stop hiding behind vague words and start actually delivering what MSPs voted for.

We pushed for its expansion across the rest of the country as soon as possible and we are glad bus users across the West of Scotland will start saving money from next week.

It is one year to the day since our parliament voted to boycott apartheid Israel, but the Scottish Government isn’t even doing the basics.

Delaying the roll out to the rest of the country by up to five years is completely unacceptable though.

The current £2 bus fare cap across the Highlands and Islands was secured by the Scottish Greens. Much like our free bus passes for young people, it has been a huge success.

These giant tech firms are desperate to get their hyperscale data centres approved before the penny drops and the Scottish Government realises what a disaster they would be.

I hope that the First Minister will ignore these corporate lobbying efforts, hit pause on all applications immediately and protect the interests of people and planet.

If they’re allowed to go ahead, hyperscale data centres will be another case of multinational companies extracting huge profits from Scotland whilst our economy sees next to no benefit and our environment suffers.

The Scottish Government can already borrow through existing routes which are cheaper and lower risk. Why would the SNP choose to issue expensive bonds instead, especially when they put another barrier in the way of Scottish independence?

The richest 2% have more wealth than half the population combined.

The Scottish Government must call time on this idea and start looking towards serious investment plans that are proven to work.

Rather than wasting time on endless reviews and discussions, the Scottish Government should fix the taxes already under its control.

Our country needs investment in transport, in homes, in hospitals and schools, but these bonds are not the way to achieve it.

Borrowing to meet Scotland’s infrastructure demands isn’t just a good idea, it's crucial.

The Scottish Government needs to drop this bonds plan and use its regular borrowing powers to deliver the homes, rail lines and public services that our communities are crying out for.

The public shouldn’t have to pay the price for multi-millionaires and billionaires hopping between their shooting estates and super yachts.

The super-rich take around 12,000 private jet flights in Scotland every year. That is nothing short of a disaster for our climate.

This was a simple test of the Scottish Government’s commitment to boycotting companies complicit in some of the gravest war crimes of this century, and they failed it.

There is no BDS-compliant way to work with Barclays. The bank has financed companies supplying the weapons used in Israel’s genocide against Palestinians and it is a partner in the Israeli government’s own bond scheme.

This is a non-answer from the Scottish Government and they know it. When it comes to supporting Palestine and opposing Israel, their actions just do not match their words.

Companies that profit from apartheid and genocide against Palestinians should not be rewarded with Scottish Government partnerships, it’s as simple as that. Cosying up to Barclays is the opposite of what our Parliament voted for.

We only need to look at the minutes of a recent meeting between the First Minister and industry lobbying group ScotlandIS, which are worth quoting at length for the sheer brazenness of their approach.

Ross urged the First Minister to order an immediate moratorium on all data centre proposals over 50 megawatts, introduce a requirement for all data centres over 50 megawatts to undergo an Environmental Impact Assessment, and a clear…

My hope is that their party’s national council decision will help to concentrate minds.