Andy Wightman | |
---|---|
Member o the Scots Pairlament for Lowden | |
Assumed office 5 Mey 2016 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Dundee |
Naitionality | Scots |
Poleetical pairty | Independent |
Residence | Edinburgh, Scotland |
Alma mater | Varsity o Aiberdeen |
Thrift | MSP, Writer, poleetical activist |
Wabsteid | andywightman |
Andrew Dearg Wightman is an independent Memmer o the Scots Pairlament (MSP) fur the Lothian region. He wis electit as a memmer o the Scots Greens. He is a writer an resaircher best kent fur his wark on laund awnership in Scotland. He is the author o Who Owns Scotland? (1996) an The Poor Had No Lawyers (2015).
Wightman wis born in Dundee. He graduatit frae the University o Aiberdeen in 1985 wi a degree in forestry.[1][2] He wis co-foonder o Reforesting Scotland, a group dedicatit tae substantial[wrang wird or uiss o Scots] reforestation.
He stairtit his thrift as a scientist wirkin on renewable energy at the Univerity o Aiberdeen an then as a Projecks Officer wi Central Scotland Countryside Trust. He becam a sel-employed writer an resaircher in 1993.[citation needit] Ower the neist 20 year, he gied inpit tae a wide wheen o debates on laund uissage, the Croun estate, common guid laund, local democracy an fiscal reform. He haes wrate a nummer o reports on thir topics an haes serrt as a Specialist Advisor tae the UK Pairlament's Scottish Affairs Committee Inquiry 2014-2015.[citation needit]
He kythed in the documentaries You've Been Trumped (2011)[citation needit] an You've Been Trumped Too (2016),[3] that dealt wi Donald Trump's controversial[wrang wird or uiss o Scots] gowf coorse development at Balmedie, Aiberdeenshire, whaur he advised Michael Forbes on his laund dispute wi Trump.
He wis coordinator o the Land Action Scotland campaign, that haed the aim o supportin locals bi leukin tae democratise companies that ar rin bi a group o fowk that arnae bidin in the laund involved.[4][5]
In Februar 2015, Wightman wis annoonced as a memmer o the Commission of Local Tax Reform. This cross-pairty group wis set up bi the Scots govrenment, gien the task o examinin alternatives tae the Cooncil Tax. The final report Just Change: A New Approach to Local Taxation wis furthset on 14 December 2015.
Wightman jynt the Scots Greens in 2009.[6] In Mairch 2015, the Scots Greens ballotit thair memmers tae pit forrit candidates fur the 2016 election, an Wightman wis pit seicont on thair Lothian leet.[7] He wis eleckit as an MSP on 5 Mey 2016.[8] On 23 Mey 2016 he wis annoonced as the Scots Greens' spokesbody on Communities (including Housing), Land Reform an Local Government.[9]
On 18 December 2020, Wightman declart his demission frae the Scots Greens efter a vote on an amendment tae the Forensic Services Bill, allegin that whiles the Pairty had “a strong commitment to equalities and trans rights”, it shawed "intolerance" bi daein sae.[10][11]