Latest news with #MarkRuskell
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
‘You wouldn't risk the lives of cute Labradors,' campaigners demand greyhound race ban
The whole of the UK needs to come together, say campaigners. Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A GREYHOUND rescuer has called on the Scottish Government to follow Wales' footsteps in banning 'horror' races. Activists want a nationwide axe on such events after 109 greyhounds died trackside and a further 4,238 were injured according to the last official UK figures in 2023. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Scottish Green MSP Mark Ruskell with former racing greyhounds outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh. Credit: PA 4 Lorraine Baker who runs the Scottish Greyhound Sanctuary. Credit: Supplied 4 Racing can cause catastrophic injuries. Credit: Getty 4 They make brilliant pets when rescued. Credit: Getty It was announced in February the sport would be banned 'as soon as practically possible' in Wales after a mass petition led to a decision to outlaw the practice. Now campaigners in Scotland have called on decision-makers to curb what they view as barbaric animal cruelty — a stance backed by Scottish Green MSP Mark Ruskell who lodged a members bill in parliament proposing a ban last month. Lorraine Baker, who runs the Scottish Greyhound Sanctuary, told us: 'Apparently we're a nation of dog lovers — unless it's a greyhound. If you took six Labradors and put them on a greyhound track with some food at the end, one of them would win. 'But nobody would think it's ok. For some reason it's different with greyhounds. 'The racing has only been happening for about 100 years and if you go back further than that it didn't exist. 'So it's a relatively short term aberration that needs to be ended.' Thornton Stadium in Kirkcaldy was the only operating track in Scotland in recent years. It closed until further notice in March, citing difficulties with finding a betting partner and concerns about the proposed ban. Meanwhile Shawfield, in Rutherglen, ceased operating in 2020 after 15 deaths and 197 injuries to greyhounds in the preceding three years. There were once more than 20 tracks in Scotland but the sport's popularity has dwindled since the middle of the 20th century. Has greyhound racing gone to the dogs? But it's understood there are still 19 licenced stadia across the UK and that Scottish dogs are often taken to England to race on weekends. Lorraine has saved greyhounds with catastrophic injuries and believes the only way to ensure their safety would be a UK-wide ban. She said: 'The impetus for it has gained momentum. I've been involved for 15 years and when I started there was not a great call for a ban. 'But anyone who works in rescue knows it's an unsustainable position. Racing dogs are the most needy. 'They haven't been socialised, 90 per cent are born in kennels. They've been through so much yet are often the easiest dogs to adapt to a new home. 'I think that's because they know they've been rescued and are happy to jump on the couch because they didn't have it before. 'Many dogs are injured and [it's worse] when they die. They often have heart attacks and broken necks. The injuries can be catastrophic.' Gill Docherty, of campaign group Scotland Against Greyhound Exploitation, spent years protesting outside Thornton and other tracks. Her petition for a ban in 2019 was the most signed in Scottish parliamentary history with nearly 30,000 signatures. She said: 'We've been campaigning since 2017, when Shawfield stadium in Glasgow was still operating and had 15 positive drug tests. 'The level of death and injury on UK tracks was wholly unacceptable and our team are all hound owners and rescuers so we know how gentle this breed is, and how loving they are. 'There is no purpose to greyhound racing other than entertainment and gambling and for dogs to have to die for that is appalling.' If passed, Ruskell's Prohibition of Greyhound Racing (Scotland) Bill would create an offence of permitting a greyhound to compete at racetracks, with a maximum sentence of up to five years. The Greyhound Board of Great Britain said the bill had 'no relevance' to Scotland as no licenced racing was presently taking place. But Lorraine reckons Scotland joining Wales in enforcing a ban could force England — where Scottish dogs are allegedly still racing — to follow suit. She said: 'We need an outright ban across the UK. A majority want it banned and the polls seem to indicate that.' Ruskell agrees. He added: 'We are a nation who pride ourselves on being at the forefront of progressive fundamental rights, and that should extend to our dogs. 'We must end racing forever. Gambling on the lives of dogs is cruel, outdated and never worth it, and I urge my fellow Parliamentarians and our Government to back my Bill and give greyhounds a better life. 'The Welsh Government has shown that a ban is possible. It's time to follow suit and put paws before profit.'
The National
4 days ago
- Politics
- The National
MSPs consider plans to stop landowners 'blocking' community buy-outs
The Scottish Greens tabled the amendments to the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill which would give communities greater powers to take back local land from 'absentee' landowners. Currently, communities are restricted from progressing with community buy-outs of neglected land if the landowner brings a small part of the area 'into use'. READ MORE: Plans submitted for 102-bedroom Premier Inn in Scottish city centre Scottish Greens MSP Mark Ruskell brought forward the amendments which would mean landlords would have to bring at least 50% of a landholding into use, otherwise it would be classed as abandoned or neglected and would be eligible for community buy-out. The Land Reform (Scotland) Bill was tabled by the SNP Government and passed its first hurdle in the Scottish Parliament at the stage 1 debate in March. Part of the legislation aims to increase opportunities for community buy-outs of land, and also when large estates are put on the market, ministers could break up this land – in a process known as lotting – into smaller areas, if certain conditions are met. However, ministers have already been told by Holyrood's Net Zero, Environment and Transport Committee that 'significant change' is needed to the bill if it is to deliver on the Scottish Government's 'ambitious policy objectives'. Ruskell's proposals are set to be debated and voted on at the same committee on Tuesday. Mark Ruskell Commenting, Ruskell said: 'For too long, people have been unfairly barred from bringing local land back into community ownership because of a tiny loophole in the law. 'It cannot be right that neglectful landowners are able to leave land ignored and derelict for many years, whilst communities are desperate to bring areas back into productive use. READ MORE: 'Evacuate Tehran': Donald Trump issues warning as he departs G7 leaders summit early 'The Land Reform Bill should be an opportunity to tackle this kind of inherent unfairness in Scotland's land ownership – and that's exactly why I've brought these proposals forward.' Ruskell added that he has been supporting locals in Largo, Fife, where he said that plans for the community buy-out of local land have been blocked by the landowner converting less than 10% of the holding into a horticulture business. He said that the rest of the site – which includes historic buildings and gardens – have been left 'abandoned and neglected'. Ruskell added: 'For folks in Largo, this ridiculous saga has gone on for too long – it's time to close the Largo loophole for good.'
Daily Record
02-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Perthshire MPs clash over short-term lets and second homes issue
The region has 1083 second homes and 1875 STL licences - 2958 combined or 3.89 per cent out of 76,136 dwellings. Perth and Kinross MSPs clashed this week over the issue of second homes and short term lets in the region which are more than twice the national average. Green MSP Mark Ruskell insisted tax rises on the wealthy would reduce the number of second homes and short-term lets and tackle the housing crisis, but Conservative Murdo Fraser said the solution was building more houses in rural areas and accused his Mid Scotland and Fife colleague of wishing to punish second home owners. According to Scottish Government 2024 figures second homes and short term lets in Perth and Kinross make up 3.9 per cent of all housing in the area - more than double the national average of 1.8 per cent. The region has 1083 second homes and 1875 STL licences - 2958 combined or 3.89 per cent out of 76,136 dwellings. As of March 2023 there were 3312 people on the application list for social housing in Perth and Kinross with an average of 1000 properties becoming available for rent each year. Mr Ruskell pointed out that tax rises on the wealthy would reduce the number of second homes and short-term lets in Perth and Kinross. He commented: 'The fact that we have just under 3,000 second homes and short term lets in Perth and Kinross, which is more than double 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. '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 Scottish Government must listen to us and act boldly to stop the hollowing out of our communities.' But Mr Fraser said: 'With their customary attachment to the politics of envy, the Scottish Greens want to punish second home owners by fleecing them for even more tax. 'This will do nothing to solve the housing crisis in rural areas, which can only be fixed by more house building in the private and social rented sectors - and this means a new policy approach in terms of planning, infrastructure and incentives. 'Sadly whilst the Greens were in Government in coalition with the SNP they did nothing to fix these fundamental issues, and instead now resort to cheap headlines.' A Scottish Government spokesperson said this week: 'Tackling the housing emergency remains an urgent priority for the Scottish Government and we are supporting local authorities to quickly identify properties and bring them back into use. 'We recognise that local areas have different housing needs, which is why we legislated to give councils the power to levy higher council tax on second homes and empty properties. 'Giving councils these levers can help create a fairer housing and taxation system and ensures they have the flexibility to strike the right balance in the use of housing to meet local needs and to support thriving communities. 'Our £3.7 million investment has so far brought almost 11,000 privately owned homes back into use since 2010 and we will invest a further £2 million next year to help councils unlock barriers and develop a targeted approach to empty homes.'
The Courier
31-05-2025
- Politics
- The Courier
Controversial Perthshire national park bid back in play as rival plan scrapped
Hopes have been revived for a new national park in Highland Perthshire. Perth and Kinross Council's 'Tay Forest' project was mothballed last summer when Galloway was named the preferred location for Scotland's third national park. But the Galloway bid was scrapped this week following 'significant opposition'. And that's raised the prospect of the Perthshire national park proposal being resurrected. The council told The Courier it is following events at Holyrood. 'We are awaiting further information from the Scottish Government,' said a spokesman. Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon was asked about the chances for a Perthshire national park when she announced the Galloway scheme had hit the buffers on Thursday. Mid Scotland and Fife Green MSP Mark Ruskell said communities in Perthshire had shown 'majority public support' for the bid, despite an 'aggressive misinformation campaign'. And he asked: 'Will the government now re-engage with that bid for Scotland's third national park? 'Or has it simply given up on the idea altogether?' Ms Gougeon insisted the government was still minded to establish more national parks, providing it gets the process right. 'We reached the stage of introducing the proposal to designate Galloway as a national park only because it met all the criteria that had been established and consulted on,' she added. 'We are not looking to do that at the moment, but we remain open to doing so in the future.' The Perthshire national park bid was ruled out of the running by the Scottish Government last July. It would have stretched across almost 3,000 square kilometres of Perthshire, taking in the towns of Aberfeldy, Comrie, Crieff, Dunkeld and Pitlochry. The council held an eight-week consultation on the Tay Forest proposal and received around 350 responses to its survey. More than half of respondents (56.8%) agreed or strongly agreed with the idea. But critics said national park policies – such as beaver re-introduction – conflicted with the interests of local farmers and managers. The Tayside and Central Scotland Moorland Group branded the consultation response 'woeful' and mounted an angry protest outside the council's headquarters. Aberfeldy Community Council was supportive of the national park bid. Its chairman Victor Clements says the group will watch the next steps with interest. But he suggests there are other ways to invest in nature conservation without adding more layers of management. 'Instead of funding the administrative structures of a new national park, give the equivalent budget to Perth and Kinross Council, and let them fund nature conservation initiatives and a ranger service directly,' said Mr Clements. 'The council could also support farmers and landowners in doing the things they do want to do, as they have shown they can do in the past with the Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) scheme and other grant programmes.' The SNP signed up to a new national park as part of the power-sharing Bute House agreement with the Scottish Greens. It has since been scrapped too.
Daily Record
30-05-2025
- 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.'
