Scottish Greens Msp

THE Tory leadership contest was always going to be ugly, but this one is even worse than I’d anticipated.

THIS morning I joined the First Minister, representatives from the NHS, Police Scotland and campaigners from Back Off Scotland and other pro-choice organisations for a summit on how we can stop anti-choice protests outside healthcare services and ensure that abortion services are safe, secure and accessible for all.

DOWNING Street is one of the biggest Covid crime scenes in the UK, with 126 fines for breaches. While people across the country were missing funerals and were stopped from visiting loved ones, the Prime Minister and his colleagues were using the most powerful office in the country for parties.

THERE can be no place for conversion therapy in Scotland or anywhere else. The last week has exposed the cynical depths that the Prime Minister and his colleagues will sink to in order to scapegoat and demonise our LGBT communities, and our trans siblings in particular.

THIS weekend I will be in Stirling for the Scottish Greens’ spring conference. I’m looking forward to meeting members and activists and reflecting on what has been a historic six months for our party.

EVEN by the low standards of this Prime Minister, it’s been a disgraceful week. Many of us had our heads in our hands while he tried to excuse away all of the parties and lockdown breaches at Downing Street – most of which has been reported on by Sue Gray.

WITH the rise of Omicron, it wasn’t the Christmas that we all envisaged. It was the end of a year that lots of us have found difficult. Far too many have experienced pain and loss that could not be properly mourned.

THE independent Scotland that we are building must have equality and liberation at its heart.

LAST year 1339 people died from drug overdoses. Behind every one of these dreadful numbers is a person and a story.

WEDNESDAY was a dark day for anti-poverty and children’s right campaigners.