Mark Ruskell: Last News

ScotRail is being urged to ditch pricey first class seats after it emerged just 2 per cent were used last year - leaving 150,000 luxury seats going spare every month. The shocking findings come despite routine complaints of overcrowding on many key services this year - exacerbated by a reduced timetable which ran from July to the end of September.

The Scottish Government could this week be forced to reverse inflation-busting rail fare hikes.

A ScotRail fares hike will cause "misery" for passengers already struggling with the cost of living, the SNP Government has been warned.

Over 300 campaigners gathered outside Perth Museum on Saturday, January 11 to protest against the proposed closure of five Perth and Kinross libraries.

A decision to axe free bus transport for asylum seekers has been condemned by charities, which warned some people are living on less than £1.40 per day.

Rural communities face being “abandoned” after the end of a popular bus service, according to a Lochearnhead based MSP.

Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Harry Styles to pay a levy to help the nation’s small and medium-sized live music spaces.Angus Robertson, SNP Culture Secretary, has said he would consider the tax amid concerns over the future of arts funding in Scotland.It came after he was questioned in Holyrood by Green MSP Mark Ruskell, who suggested that the introduction of just a £1 levy on each ticket could help raise over a million pounds per year.Robertson went on to say that “new thinking” was needed in terms of arts funding in the country.He explained: “We have gone through a pivot point during the pandemic; there has been a change in social behaviours and there has been extreme distress in the arts and cultural sector.“We acknowledge that and we have tried to support the sector through that difficult period.”Robertson added: “The levy proposal is worthy of further consideration.”The Music Venue Trust (MVT) said 120 grassroots venues have closed across Britain in 2023 alone, and that Scotland is “disproportionately” affected (via The Times).Those in favour of the levy have suggested that the additional £1 would go unnoticed by most concertgoers as tickets for these huge shows usually have high prices to begin with.However, critics have claimed that the tax could further price out those on lower incomes because these concerts are already expensive and come with additional fees.Tickets for Taylor Swift‘s upcoming ‘Eras Tour’ dates at the Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, for example, cost £109.40 for general standing access.

Scottish Prison Service (SPS) and Stirling Council have “serious questions to answer” following revelations that no noise impact assessment was made at HMP/YOI Stirling, says a Stirling Green MSP.

A senior Labour MSP has accused Keir Starmer of failing to provide “climate leadership” over the Rosebank oil field.

Rishi Sunak has been accused of "pouring more fuel on the global fire" as the struggling Prime Minister plans to water down some of his key environmental policies.

The Scottish Green Party has claimed that its under-fire coalition with the SNP has prevented a Westminster "assault" on the environment. The party claimed that the Tories' and Labour’s "culture war" against climate proves how crucial Scottish Greens being in Government is.

Stirling Council has been urged to seize the legacy from last week’s UCI Cycling World Championships by progressing a pair of ongoing ‘active travel’ projects.

Residents in a Cornton housing estate have accused a housing developer of dragging their heels over upgrading a playpark and transferring vital green space to the community.

Humza Yousaf has given his clearest indication yet that a flagship recycling initiative will be scrapped unless there is a last minute u-turn from the UK Government.

The organisers of troubled Doune the Rabbit Hole music festival have come under fire for asking volunteers to pay a £145 deposit to work at the event for free.

Labour, the Greens and the Lib Dems have slammed the UK Government after oil giant Shell made nearly £1.4 billion more in profit than expected in the first three months of the year.

Bus giants Stagecoach have been urged to do a U-turn on a fares hike in Dumfries and Galloway.

Mark Ruskell, Scottish Green MSP for Perthshire, has encouraged the Scottish Government to prioritise urgent safety improvement measures at key junctions along the A9.

Energy giant BP has been branded “sickening" after posting record-breaking £23billion profits last year - while also scaling back its climate goals.

A significant blaze at a national electrical waste recycling centre was brought under full control after starting more than 24 hours earlier.

Plans to suspend and reduce two bus services in Perth and Kinross have been criticised, with claims residents will be “cut off” from parts of the region and beyond.