Labour & Co-op MSP for Edinburgh Southern and Shadow Secretary Enterprise & Business. Email contact
@danieljohnson
.org.uk for case work and questions.
No one should face violence at work - but for too many shop workers it has become routine.
Today the law changes thanks to my members bill creating a specific offence and statutory aggravation for abusing or assaulting shop workers.
@UsdawUnion
@CoopParty
#notpartofthejob
Tonight I took the difficult decision to break the whip and vote for a People's Vote. The impact of Brexit on my constituents and the ever increasing risk of a no deal Brexit mean that I think a new vote is necessary.
Let me get this straight - Andy was supposed to have known about the restrictions before they were announced and he should have called her?
@AndyBurnhamGM
is a talented man, but I didn’t know he is clairvoyant.
"If he wants a grown-up conversation, he only has to pick up the phone"
Scotland's first minister Nicola Sturgeon defends Manchester travel ban following criticism from Andy Burnham
Nicola sturgeon went straight from FMQs in holyrood to an event in Glasgow today.
It’s a good job she used a car for the journey today. Those of us using the train have found that journey less than straight forward.
The Scottish Government is now spending more than £8m a year on overseas offices and planning on opening more.
At a time when we are struggling to dispatch ambulances and get rubbish picked up in our largest city- you have to question these priorities. 1/3
When I ask if we are really to believe that a 1 line email is sufficient to sign off a ferry contract costing £100m’s Jenny Gilruth answers “that’s how government works”
If that’s true, the problem is much bigger than we thought.
I have resigned from Scottish Labour's shadow cabinet. I feel this is the only way I can effectively represent my constituents views on Europe and that we must make every effort to ensure the UK remains in the EU.
It is quite extraordinary to hear Nicola Sturgeon describe Alex Salmond in the terms she has used today. “Cronies” “Old Boys Club”.
It’s as though she wasn’t his deputy for 10 years.
I have just received an email explaining that John Swinney has provided a summary of the OECD report on Education to SPICe.
I can ask to see it.
But its confidential.
So I couldn't talk about it.
What a farce.
The shower of random insults from the First Minister exposes how rattled she is about her government's sell off of offshore wind sites to foreign owners- some with pretty murky records.
#FMQs
I am told that Public Health officials advice was to lower Edinburgh to level 2.
SNP ministers have completely failed to explain why they overturned this recommendation.
To the person who "redecorated" my office window last night.
I just want to reassure you that I am consulting my cctv so I can review your handiwork in progress.
Thank you for your contribution to democracy.
I don’t routinely retweet Murdo- but this was an important and material question.
I find it very troubling that it was blocked by the convenor.
Questions must be asked and MSPs free to ask them.
Here is the Official Report of my exchange earlier today with Leslie Evans. I still cannot understand how someone on oath ‘to tell the whole truth’ can refuse to answer a question on a matter of which she clearly has knowledge. I will he pursuing this further.
Today in holyrood: SNP amend Lib Dem opposition motion.
Today in Westminster: Labour amend SNP opposition motion.
The SNP claim their first is fine but the second is a democratic affront.
They are playing games.
1) a new currency but don’t ask when
2) mortgages stay in sterling but don’t ask what you will be paid in
3) there will be reserves but don’t ask how much
4) a hard border but don’t worry, tech.
5) fiscal sustainability but don’t call them cuts
The Economy Paper in brief.
My one regret is that Alistair Darling was not with us to see us re-gain Edinburgh South West and achieve such a result across Scotland.
I will not be alone in thinking and reflecting on what his thoughts and advice would be as we face the challenge of government over the coming
The Scottish Parliament needs reform.
The Scottish Government regularly ignores parliamentary motions, its business is constrained by lack of parliamentary privilege and its committee system is dominated by the party of government.
It needs to change.
Disowned by unions.
Sir Tom Hunter describing it as a "Long wish list with no magic wand to deliver it"
No journalists present.
No statement to parliament.
Not a great start for SNPs new 10yr economic plan.
"We’ve been the victims of a stitch up."
Stephen Flynn, the SNP Westminster leader, responds to Commons Gaza vote chaos.
He tells
@krishgm
that the Speaker is 'now going to have to convince me his position is tenable'.
It is a mistake to agree with the SNP and allow them to retcon the GE result as mandate for indyref2. It was “stop Brexit” that was written on the side on Nicola Sturgeon’s bus not “mandate for another referendum”.
I’m glad
@agcolehamilton
challenged the first minister about Ian Blackford’s disgraceful tweet.
The problem isn’t that he made a mistake about the targets residential status- it’s that he would compose such a tweet at all.
I’m not in the habit praising speeches by political opponents but
@DAJCameron
has just eloquently and comprehensively dismantled the Scottish Government’s case re the Salmond legal advice.
A very impressive contribution.
-Economy worse than the rest of the UK.
-We can’t build ferries.
-Wind power sold off overseas.
-Trains in public ownership but services cut.
Now their defining mission - closing the attainment gap: delayed indefinitely.
So what is the point of the SNP?
I am pleased to have been reselected by my local party to fight the next Scottish Parliament election.
I feel grateful and slightly overwhelmed at receiving support of 92% - I truly value the continued support of Labour Party members in Edinburgh Southern.
So this would have been a better tweet for yesterday (being no car day).
I'm on week 3 using my new ebike to get into parliament - best way to commute by far.
I am genuinely wondering why I didn't make the switch before.
Greens voting against “a plan for £15/hr”.
The compromises of ministerial office. They won’t even support a plan for something they committed to in their manifesto.
It will come as a shock to many that there was not already formal deal in place between the Greens and SNP.
At least the pretence of the Greens being a party of any kind of opposition has gone.
Accusations that opposition spokespeople were invited to but didn’t come to Economic Strategy launch.
That is disingenuous.
The invite came at 4pm the day before and scheduled at a time all spokespeople were due to be in Parliament’s Finance committee.
The SNP is taking the people of Scotland for a ride.
To spend nearly 100k on Tesla cars while people are struggling to make ends meet is shocking.
We need to know how why every penny was spent.
Interesting development in Budget debate as Labour suggest hiking taxes in Scotland to raise an additional *£12bn* to deliver their Budget asks. That’s the eye-watering equivalent of doubling income tax revenues in Scotland from every income tax payer.
For those interested in Scottish Government secrecy- this is worth a read.
Rejecting FOI requests when they fully expect to have them over turned in appeal.
Not the action of a transparent government.
Good work from
@FT
It is astonishing to see SNP ministers thanking Peter Murrell for “professionalising the SNP”.
Last time I checked, systematic lying wasn’t considered “professional”.
Education, Justice, transport, local government all facing cuts of between 5-8% over the next few years.
That’s what the spending review laid bare.
But they did find £20m for Indyref2.
Priorities, huh?
Under the SNP Quangos have swollen creating 223 board jobs since 2007 & a total wage bill of more than £8m.
Who remembers the "Bonfire of the Quangos"?
Seems they've been too busy creating jobs for their pals to do that.
It is not easy speaking out but my colleagues Jenny Marra and James Kelly have done the right thing.
It is time to recognise the situation we are in and for Richard to step down.
The information from the Police this afternoon is clearly deeply upsetting.
I thank everyone for their continued messages of support.
Our thoughts must be with Rosie’s immediate family and I ask that their privacy is respected.
The line from the First Minister that we are self sufficient in renewables is not true.
This was our energy mix last year.
Capacity does not equal actual generation or consumption.
SNP back benchers seem to think we should just "Keep Calm and Carry On" "Don't discuss the crisis".
When did asking for an ambulance to come in 30mins become an unspeakably unrealistic expectation?
This is parliament- it is our job to talk about challenges faced by our NHS.
Not content just to underfund this city and health service (lowest per capita spend in Scotland) it looks like the SNP are now parachuting Glasgow City Councillors to top their list in the Lothians.
There is no business experience whatsoever in the new cabinet.
How can a government deliver economic recovery when it has virtually no relevant experience?
We must have answers on what has happened at SNIB and how someone can leave voluntarily and get such a large payout.
That’s why I have written to the Auditor General to ask if such payouts are in line with public pay policies.
I am very pleased to have been placed
#1
on the Lothian List by Labour Party members.
Thank you to all who voted for me and for placing your trust in me.
I am deeply disappointed that Edinburgh has been held at level 3. The measure and justifications do not warrant this decision. It comes after a weekend of leaks and briefing that we would be placed in level 2.
Oh, and this all happened after 5pm on a Friday.
How unfortunate that is for the news-cycle.
I am sure that was purely coincidence rather deliberately timed. Just a case of the last email to be sent before the weekend, I'm sure.
I’m just trying to figure out what the Alba Party screening process must look like.
Do they just skip past the parts about controversial views or run ins with the law - or do they count those things as positive attributes?
.
@netflix
#ITakeMyPillsBecause
they have made my life and that of my family better -they enable me to function.
Your portrayal of ADHD medication in
#takeyourpills
is unbalanced and simply adds to the stigma faced by those dealing a diagnosed neurological condition.
SNP ministers guaranteed business deals between Sanjeev Gupta and his father worth over £1/2bn.
This enabled GFG to raise debt with the same interest as 'sovereign bonds'.
This raises serious questions for Nicola Sturgeon and her cabinet.
10,000 of our fellow Scots have succumbed to this virus and yet SNP politicians only want to talk about referenda today.
Tells you something about their priorities.
Recovery will take more than a few months. Nor so trivial that it only gets a beat in answers to the media.
I just installed interlink d fire alarms for my mother in law.
Cost: ~£100 and 15mins of my time.
Other people in her stair got charged almost £500.
It’s not on and more should have been done to prevent scammers and con artists for the roll out of this new standard.
Earlier this evening, the Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing
@JoeFitzSNP
answered an urgent question from
@DAJCameron
on
@scotgov
's plans for a rollout of a
#CovidVaccine
.
🎥 Watch the full answer here:
The central issue I keep coming back to is that the SQA changed grades of groups of students without any reference to individual evidence - this seems wrong plain and simple.
#SQAResults
John Swinney’s claim that we are 100% self sufficient from renewables is simply untrue.
This diagram shows our energy mix last year. Since then one of two nuclear power stations I. Scotland has been taken offline.
'I want to ensure through independence, Scotland’s got the ability to use our energy wealth for the benefit of our people'
Deputy FM John Swinney says he thinks Scotland doesn't financially benefit from its "self-sufficiency in renewables" due to "flaws in the UK energy market".
John Swinney was instructed by parliament to provide this report.
He claims it would be a breech of contract if he did.
My question is, did he even ask? Any contract can be varied by mutual consent.
But the rationale of these overseas offices seems flawed. They are supposed to be focused on trade. So why are they in administrative cities such as Washington, Ottawa and Berlin rather than the commercial centres of New York, Toronto and Frankfurt? 2/3
Where was Patrick Harvey during the last referendum if he thinks it wasn’t divisive? I received threats and abuse on the doorstep in a way I had never before or since.
We need to move on and focus on recovery not return to those old arguments.
Travelling while awaiting a test result was clearly ill-advised.
Travelling home, by public transport, knowing that she had tested positive, is shocking.
The Scottish Parliament now has four strong able women across different parties stepping down at this election all citing family reasons.
@ScotParl
needs to stop and think whether it is the family friendly parliament it set out to be twenty years ago.
To those questioning our public health qualifications- we have none.
But public health officials do. It is reported that their advice was to move to level 2.
This was overturned by ministers, not experts. People in Edinburgh deserve to know why.
It is our job to ask that.
urging her to reconsider this decision. I’m grateful to
@DJohnsonMSP
,
@MilesBriggsMSP
and
@andywightman
from all opposition parties, representing the city who have signed it.
The text of our letter is as follows: 2/
First Minister careful to state agreement from UK parliament is required for an second independence referendum.
This is careful and deliberate- designed to create stand off and maximise grievance going into 2021 elections.
This is a cynical and calculated fudge.
The First Minster responds as though she and ministers are mere observers of events.
13 years of government, the drugs crisis is their responsibility. Not something to just note in the chamber.
Let's be clear.
We were in discussions with SNP ministers re the budget. Our call for improving pay for Social Care workers was rejected - it would have cost £500m.
Greens did a deal on public sector pay worth just £100m.
The budget had over £1bn new recurring funds available.
Gordon Brown’s report details a radical shift of power away from Westminster & is a bold and exciting piece of work.
It offers change right across the UK.
Great to be at the launch in Edinburgh.
After all they have done, surely care workers are worth more than a meagre 48p pay rise.
This SNP budget is an insult to care workers and the Green capitulation a betrayal.
I have finally got a vaccination appointment in a weeks time!
Only 4 calls to the national help line, 2 to the health board help line and filling in the missing appointment form twice.
All this for someone who is aware of the system and where to call.
This is truly shocking. For an SNP office bearer to have been coaching access to grants intended for struggling businesses defies belief and is immoral.
I would wonder whether these actions constitute fraud, if so Police Scotland should investigate.
Seconds after making a speech claiming his priorities would be cost of living and the NHS- the presumptive FM says he will ask for a section 30 order “right away”
His priorities didn’t last long did they?
Humza Yousaf told
@PeterAdamSmith
that he will ask “right away” for a section 30 order which would grant the Scottish Parliament the power to hold a second independence referendum
Triggering a by-election would cost the public almost £1/4m.
Joanna Cherry clearly thinks that this is a price worth paying to have her In Holyrood.
It’s not just premier league footballers that trigger large transfer fees, apparently.
This paper has no answers on the key questions. Scots shouldn't pay the price of SNP pipedreams. The solution to Tory economic crisis is not SNP economic crisis – it is a reforming Labour government.
I’m assuming the massive cuts to education, justice, enterprise, transport and local government are all on page 2?
I mean they would just ignore them because nationalism, right?
This data was only published once we were in the chamber and has changed measures from a numerical score to a letter.
This makes scrutinising the critical decisions regarding level setting almost impossible.
Can I thank everyone for their support and kind wishes regarding my neice's disappearance. The kind thoughts and wishes are much appreciated.
There is no new information and I would ask people to respect the privacy the family as they concentrate on the search.
I am so pleased my collleague across the chamber
@olivermundell
has confirmed he has dyslexia and dyspraxia.
It all helps the open discussion we need about neuro diversity in schools and society.
I know most people don't follow me because of interest in ADHD.
If that's you, could I ask you to look at
#ITakeMyPillsBecause
@netflix
has put out a very unbalanced documentary about ADHD medication. Please look at it: we need to build understanding not stoke prejudices.
@HughRBrechin
The real problem with this is that he has been bleating all week about efficiency.
There are probably 1-2 extra people in his office employed to print out his emails and input his responses compared to his colleagues who just have their own computer.
He’s a hypocrite.