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).

Andy Wightman

Member o the Scots Pairlament
for Lowden
Assumed office
5 Mey 2016
Personal details
BornDundee
NaitionalityScots
Poleetical pairtyIndependent
ResidenceEdinburgh, Scotland
Alma materVarsity o Aiberdeen
ThriftMSP, Writer, poleetical activist
Wabsteidandywightman.com

Backgroond

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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.

Political thrift

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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]

Furthset warks

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  • Who Owns Scotland (Canongate, 1996)[12][13]
  • Scotland: land and power. An agenda for land reform (Luath, 1999)
  • The Poor Had No Lawyers (Birlinn Books, Third Edition, 2015)[14]

References

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  1. Wightman, Andy (Februar 2012). "Forest Ownership in Scotland: A Scoping Study" (PDF). Forest Policy Group. p. 4. Retrieved 2 Mey 2015.
  2. "Author biography: Andy Wightman". Birlinn. Retrieved 21 Juin 2020.
  3. "Trump issues legal threat over new film". www.scotsman.com (in Inglis). 27 October 2016. Retrieved 30 Januar 2021.
  4. "Community bids for Applecross and Mount Stuart trusts". BBC News. BBC. 28 September 2012.
  5. "Charles Kennedy criticises Applecross Trust decision". BBC News. BBC. 14 November 2012.
  6. Sanderson, Daniel (5 Mey 2016). "Andy Wightman may be a new face for the Scottish Greens but he is no stranger to Holyrood". The Herald. glasgow. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  7. "Scottish Greens regional list candidates". Holyrood. 11 Januar 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  8. "Land reform expert Andy Wightman elected as Green MSP". Edinburgh Evening News. 6 Mey 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  9. "Scottish Greens announce portfolios of new Holyrood group". The Herald. Glasgow. 23 Mey 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  10. "Resignation from the Scottish Green Party". 18 December 2020. Archived frae the original on 27 Januar 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  11. Libby Brooks; Severin Carrell (18 December 2020). "Scottish Greens MSP resigns claiming 'intolerance' over women and trans rights". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  12. Who owns Scotland. Edinburgh : Canongate, 1996. WorldCat. OCLC 35137079.
  13. Arlidge, John (25 Februar 1996). "Who owns Scotland?". The Independent. Retrieved 22 Februar 2015.
  14. The poor had no lawyers: who owns Scotland and (how they got it). Edinburgh : Birlinn, 2015. WorldCat. OCLC 923175798.