129-632: The Scottish Greens (also known as the Scottish Green Party ; Scottish Gaelic : Pàrtaidh Uaine na h-Alba [ˈpʰaːrˠʃtʲi ˈuəɲə nə ˈhal̪ˠapə] ) are a green political party in Scotland . The party has seven MSPs in the Scottish Parliament as of May 2021. As of the 2022 local elections , the party sits on 13 of the 32 Scottish local councils , with a total of 36 councillors. They held two ministerial posts in
258-711: A power-sharing agreement that would see the Green party in government for the first time in the United Kingdom. There was no agreement on oil and gas exploration, but the government now argued that it had a stronger case for a national independence referendum and pledged to hold an independence referendum before the end of 2023 if the COVID-19 pandemic subsides. As part of the agreement the Green Party would have two ministers in government. On 30 August 2021, Harvie
387-705: A power-sharing agreement with the SNP , Harvie and Slater were both appointed to the Scottish Government as junior ministers, becoming the first Green Party politicians in the UK to serve in government. He and Slater left government in 2024, when Humza Yousaf terminated the Bute House agreement. Patrick Harvie was born on 18 March 1973 in Vale of Leven , Dunbartonshire . He grew up in a very political household, and
516-399: A ' Remain ' vote. Subsequently, the party began more strongly advocating for a second Scottish independence referendum . In February 2015, the party announced that it would field candidates in 32 seats for the 2015 United Kingdom general election with 40% of their candidates being women. In 2017 the party generated some controversy by standing only 3 candidates at the general election . In
645-442: A 19% fall in bilingual speakers between the 1911 and 1921 Censuses. Michelle MacLeod of Aberdeen University has said that there was no other period with such a high fall in the number of monolingual Gaelic speakers: "Gaelic speakers became increasingly the exception from that point forward with bilingualism replacing monolingualism as the norm for Gaelic speakers." The Linguistic Survey of Scotland (1949–1997) surveyed both
774-882: A Green minister in the UK. The next year, Harvie extended the legislation, but removed the rent freeze in favour of a rent cap. His measures faced legal challenges by landlords who claimed that the measures breached the European Convention on Human Rights . The measures were extended for a final time in September 2023, with Harvie promising the introduction of permanent rent controls. In October 2023, Harvie began to consult on what these may look like. In November 2023 Harvie consulted on proposals to require homeowners and businesses to change how homes are heated. He also confirmed that all homes will have to meet energy efficiency standards by 2033 and that all homes would need to replace gas boilers by 2045. The former proposal
903-564: A Pictish substrate. In 1018, after the conquest of Lothian (theretofore part of England and inhabited predominantly by speakers of Northumbrian Old English ) by the Kingdom of Scotland , Gaelic reached its social, cultural, political, and geographic zenith. Colloquial speech in Scotland had been developing independently of that in Ireland since the eighth century. For the first time,
1032-489: A UK context and don't see it in a Scottish Parliament context.” Harvie supported the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill , which would have made it easier for people to change their legal gender in Scotland. He and Lorna Slater proposed resigning from their ministerial posts in 2023 if the winner of the 2023 Scottish National Party leadership election and next First Minister delayed or rewrote
1161-524: A central feature of court life there. The semi-independent Lordship of the Isles in the Hebrides and western coastal mainland remained thoroughly Gaelic since the language's recovery there in the 12th century, providing a political foundation for cultural prestige down to the end of the 15th century. By the mid-14th century what eventually came to be called Scots (at that time termed Inglis ) emerged as
1290-823: A challenge to revitalization efforts which occur outside the home. Positive engagements between language learners and native speakers of Gaelic through mentorship has proven to be productive in socializing new learners into fluency. In the 2022 census, 3,551 people claimed Gaelic as their 'main language.' Of these, 1,761 (49.6%) were in Na h-Eileanan Siar, 682 (19.2%) were in Highland, 369 were in Glasgow City and 120 were in City of Edinburgh; no other council area had as many as 80 such respondents. Gaelic has long suffered from its lack of use in educational and administrative contexts and
1419-779: A constituent party until 1990, when the Scottish Green Party became a separate entity. The 1990 Highland Regional Council election gave the Greens their first ever councillor in the UK. Roger (aka Rory) Winter, representing the Highland Green Party (Known in Scottish Gaelic as Uainich na Gàidhealtachd ), was elected in Nairn . However, Cllr Winter broke away from the Greens in 1991 and continued his four-year term as an Independent Green Highlander. In
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#17327690220011548-551: A dialect known as Canadian Gaelic has been spoken in Canada since the 18th century. In the 2021 census , 2,170 Canadian residents claimed knowledge of Scottish Gaelic, a decline from 3,980 speakers in the 2016 census . There exists a particular concentration of speakers in Nova Scotia , with historic communities in other parts of Canada having largely disappeared. Scottish Gaelic is classed as an indigenous language under
1677-462: A factor in the termination. Harvie consulted on a 'New Deal for Tenants' in 2021, which would include rent controls, a right to have a pet and eviction protections. In October 2022, Harvie introduced the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022 to freeze rents and ban evictions in response to the cost of living crisis . The emergency legislation was the first bill to be introduced by
1806-489: A full range of language skills: speaking, understanding, reading and writing Gaelic. 40.2% of Scotland's Gaelic speakers said that they used Gaelic at home. To put this in context, the most common language spoken at home in Scotland after English and Scots is Polish, with about 1.1% of the population, or 54,000 people. The 2011 UK Census showed a total of 57,375 Gaelic speakers in Scotland (1.1% of population over three years old), of whom only 32,400 could also read and write
1935-586: A language ideology at odds with revitalization efforts on behalf of new speakers, state policies (such as the Gaelic Language Act), and family members reclaiming their lost mother tongue. New learners of Gaelic often have a positive affective stance to their language learning, and connect this learning journey towards Gaelic language revitalization. The mismatch of these language ideologies, and differences in affective stance, has led to fewer speaking opportunities for adult language learners and therefore
2064-464: A more frequent conference on issues that appear outside conference season. The national executive oversees the day-to-day administration of party activities. The party has a Conduct and Complaints Committee. In May 2024, it expelled thirteen members after a disciplinary investigation. Those expelled were accused of breaching the party's code of conduct by signing the eight-point Scottish Green Declaration For Women's Sex-Based Rights that asserted that "sex
2193-805: A national centre for Gaelic Language and Culture, based in Sleat , on the Isle of Skye . This institution is the only source for higher education which is conducted entirely in Scottish Gaelic. They offer courses for Gaelic learners from beginners into fluency. They also offer regular bachelors and graduate programs delivered entirely in Gaelic. Concerns have been raised around the fluency achieved by learners within these language programs because they are disconnected from vernacular speech communities. In regard to language revitalization planning efforts, many feel that
2322-706: A patron of Parents Enquiry Scotland . He was a board member of the former Glasgay! Festival , and is a member of Greenpeace , Friends of the Earth , Equality Network , Stonewall (UK) , Amnesty International , Humanist Society Scotland , Campaign for Real Ale and the Campaign Against the Arms Trade . From 2003 until 2007, Harvie wrote a weekly column in the Scottish edition of the Big Issue . Harvie
2451-549: A process of Gaelicisation (which may have begun generations earlier) was clearly under way during the reigns of Caustantín and his successors. By a certain point, probably during the 11th century, all the inhabitants of Alba had become fully Gaelicised Scots, and Pictish identity was forgotten. Bilingualism in Pictish and Gaelic, prior to the former's extinction, led to the presence of Pictish loanwords in Gaelic and syntactic influence which could be considered to constitute
2580-610: A proportion of Gaelic speakers greater than 65% (the highest value is in Barvas , Lewis , with 64.1%). In addition, no civil parish on mainland Scotland has a proportion of Gaelic speakers greater than 20% (the highest is in Ardnamurchan , Highland , with 19.3%). Out of a total of 871 civil parishes in Scotland, the proportion of Gaelic speakers exceeds 50% in seven parishes, 25% in 14 parishes, and 10% in 35 parishes. Decline in traditional areas has recently been balanced by growth in
2709-465: A record eight Holyrood seats. Alison Johnstone was one of the eight MSPs elected for the Scottish Greens in the election, however on 13 May 2021 she gave up her party affiliation in order to become Holyrood's Presiding Officer as the position is a politically neutral role. After two months of negotiations, on 20 August 2021, the Scottish Greens announced a new power-sharing agreement with
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#17327690220012838-536: A situation where new learners struggle to find opportunities to speak Gaelic with fluent speakers. Affect is the way people feel about something, or the emotional response to a particular situation or experience. For Gaelic speakers, there is a conditioned and socialized negative affect through a long history of negative Scottish media portrayal and public disrespect, state mandated restrictions on Gaelic usage, and highland clearances . This negative affect towards speaking openly with non-native Gaelic speakers has led to
2967-522: A spell as a civil servant, working with the Inland Revenue in Dumbarton. This new Scottish parliament felt like the doors were open. It felt like this new institution was doing something relevant to my community, that it was going to ultimately do the right thing and that it was doing it in an open and participative way. — Harvie, speaking to The Times about his experience engaging with
3096-625: A translation of the New Testament. In 1798, four tracts in Gaelic were published by the Society for Propagating the Gospel at Home, with 5,000 copies of each printed. Other publications followed, with a full Gaelic Bible in 1801. The influential and effective Gaelic Schools Society was founded in 1811. Their purpose was to teach Gaels to read the Bible in their own language. In the first quarter of
3225-417: A wider Green push for land reform. In the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum , Harvie called for a ' Remain ' vote. After the result, he said Scotland "must keep open every option for protecting ourselves from this threat" Since Brexit , he has voiced his support for the Scottish Government's proposal for a second independence referendum . When rumours emerged that Nicola Sturgeon
3354-609: Is bisexual and in 2003 became the first openly bisexual Member of the Scottish Parliament . He is an advocate of open source and free software , and is a Linux user. His use of Twitter during an important political dinner drew much media comment. Harvie was formerly an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society , Honorary Vice-President of the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association and
3483-719: Is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family ) native to the Gaels of Scotland . As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as both Irish and Manx , developed out of Old Irish . It became a distinct spoken language sometime in the 13th century in the Middle Irish period, although a common literary language was shared by the Gaels of both Ireland and Scotland until well into
3612-616: Is a Scottish politician who served as Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights from 2021 to 2024. He has served as one of two co-leaders of the Scottish Greens since 2008, and is one of the first Green politicians in the UK to serve as a government minister. Harvie has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Glasgow region since 2003 . Born in Dunbartonshire, Harvie attended
3741-423: Is a biological reality", of which it was complained made the party less safe for transgender and non-binary members. The party has stated that "trans-exclusionary individuals of any kind are not welcome as members". Scottish Gaelic language Scottish Gaelic ( / ˈ ɡ æ l ɪ k / , GAL -ik ; endonym : Gàidhlig [ˈkaːlɪkʲ] ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic ,
3870-490: Is a significant step forward for the recognition of Gaelic both at home and abroad and I look forward to addressing the council in Gaelic very soon. Seeing Gaelic spoken in such a forum raises the profile of the language as we drive forward our commitment to creating a new generation of Gaelic speakers in Scotland." Bilingual road signs, street names, business and advertisement signage (in both Gaelic and English) are gradually being introduced throughout Gaelic-speaking regions in
3999-684: Is affiliated to the Global Greens and the European Green Party . Party membership increased dramatically following the 2014 Scottish independence referendum , during which it supported Scotland's independence from the United Kingdom . The Scottish Green Party originated as the Scottish branch of the Ecology Party , founded in 1978 by Leslie Spoor . The Ecology Party became the UK Green Party and it remained
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4128-411: Is no evidence that Gaelic was ever widely spoken. Many historians mark the reign of King Malcolm Canmore ( Malcolm III ) between 1058 and 1093 as the beginning of Gaelic's eclipse in Scotland. His wife Margaret of Wessex spoke no Gaelic, gave her children Anglo-Saxon rather than Gaelic names, and brought many English bishops, priests, and monastics to Scotland. When Malcolm and Margaret died in 1093,
4257-494: The 2016 Scottish Parliament election , the party won 6 more seats, its best result since 2003. The result pushed the party ahead of the Scottish Liberal Democrats in seat numbers, making it the fourth-largest party for the first time. The Scottish Greens also elected the youngest MSP ever, Ross Greer at the age of 21. In the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum , the party called for
4386-553: The 2024 United Kingdom general election in Scotland . The Scottish Greens are fully independent, but work closely with the green parties from Ireland : the Green Party Northern Ireland and the Green Party of Ireland . Until October 2022, it also cooperated with the Green Party of England and Wales ; this partnership was suspended due to differences of opinion on trans rights . It is a full member of
4515-837: The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages , which the UK Government has ratified, and the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 established a language-development body, Bòrd na Gàidhlig . The Scottish Parliament is considering a Scottish Languages Bill which proposes to give the Gaelic and Scots languages official status in Scotland. Aside from "Scottish Gaelic", the language may also be referred to simply as "Gaelic", pronounced / ˈ ɡ æ l ɪ k / GAL -ik in English . However, "Gaelic" / ˈ ɡ eɪ l ɪ k / GAY -lik also refers to
4644-616: The European Green Party . The party currently has seven MSPs and 36 councillors, but has no representation in Westminster. Within days of the Scottish independence referendum being held, the membership swelled to more than 5,000. Launching its manifesto for the 2015 UK general election , the Scottish Greens stated a membership of over 8,500. By October 2015 the party were holding their biggest ever conference, with their membership standing at more than 9,000. In mid-2021 it had fallen back somewhat, reported as standing at 7,500. In April 2023,
4773-479: The Local Government Act , more commonly known as Section 28 . This campaign was successful, and he has stated that the experience prompted him to become more actively involved in politics, leading to his membership of the Scottish Green Party . Harvie was elected as MSP for the Glasgow region at the 2003 Scottish Parliament election . He gained attention both for issues strongly associated with
4902-561: The Manchester Metropolitan University , where he was a member of the Labour Party . Harvie worked for a sexual health organisation, which led him into campaigning for equality. His experience of campaigning to repeal Section 28 led him to join the Scottish Green Party . Harvie was elected to the Scottish Parliament in the 2003 election , representing the Glasgow region. In September 2008, Harvie
5031-555: The Outer Hebrides , accommodation ethics exist amongst native or local Gaelic speakers when engaging with new learners or non-locals. Accommodation ethics, or ethics of accommodation, is a social practice where local or native speakers of Gaelic shift to speaking English when in the presence of non-Gaelic speakers out of a sense of courtesy or politeness. This accommodation ethic persists even in situations where new learners attempt to speak Gaelic with native speakers. This creates
5160-502: The SNP Scottish Government . While not an official coalition , for the first time in Scottish and UK history it offered the Greens two ministerial posts. The agreement saw both parties pledge for a second referendum on Scottish independence , an increase investment in active travel and public transport, enhancing tenants rights, a ten-year £500m Just Transition and establishing a National Care Service. The agreement
5289-623: The Scottish Borders . The party committed to introduce policies in local government based on climate and social justice. In the central belt cities, the party also got closer to power, either supporting a minority administration or attempting to form a coalition with the SNP in Glasgow and Edinburgh . In March 2024, the party won its first ever by-election , electing Seonad Hoy as a councillor in Hillhead ward in Glasgow. Following
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5418-688: The Scottish Lowlands . Between the 2001 and 2011 censuses, the number of Gaelic speakers rose in nineteen of the country's 32 council areas. The largest absolute gains were in Aberdeenshire (+526), North Lanarkshire (+305), the Aberdeen City council area (+216), and East Ayrshire (+208). The largest relative gains were in Aberdeenshire (+0.19%), East Ayrshire (+0.18%), Moray (+0.16%), and Orkney (+0.13%). In 2018,
5547-811: The Scottish National Party (SNP), which meant that the Greens voted for Alex Salmond as First Minister and supported his initial Ministerial appointments. In return, the SNP backed a climate change bill as an early measure and promised to legislate against ship-to-ship oil transfers in the Firth of Forth. The SNP also agreed to nominate Patrick Harvie , one of the Green MSPs, to convene the Scottish Parliament Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change. Differences, primarily over transport policy, were cited for
5676-411: The Scottish Parliament as a campaigner At a young age, Harvie became involved in politics, having first attended a Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament demo with his mother, while still in a pram. When he was ten, he told his mother that one day he would become prime minister. During his years at university he was a member of the Labour Party . Harvie was active in the campaign to repeal Section 2A of
5805-535: The first Yousaf government following a power-sharing agreement with the SNP from August 2021 until the end of the Bute House Agreement in April 2024, marking the first time Green Party politicians formed part of a government in the UK. The Scottish Greens were created in 1990 when the former Green Party separated into two independent parties, representing Scotland and England and Wales . The party
5934-786: The significant increase in pupils in Gaelic-medium education since that time is unknown. Gaelic Medium Education is one of the primary ways that the Scottish Government is addressing Gaelic language shift. Along with the Bòrd na Gàidhlig policies, preschool and daycare environments are also being used to create more opportunities for intergenerational language transmission in the Outer Hebrides. However, revitalization efforts are not unified within Scotland or Nova Scotia, Canada. One can attend Sabhal Mòr Ostaig ,
6063-421: The 17th century. Most of modern Scotland was once Gaelic-speaking, as evidenced especially by Gaelic-language place names. In the 2011 census of Scotland , 57,375 people (1.1% of the Scottish population aged over three years old) reported being able to speak Gaelic, 1,275 fewer than in 2001. The highest percentages of Gaelic speakers were in the Outer Hebrides . Nevertheless, there is a language revival , and
6192-601: The 19th century, the SSPCK (despite their anti-Gaelic attitude in prior years) and the British and Foreign Bible Society distributed 60,000 Gaelic Bibles and 80,000 New Testaments. It is estimated that this overall schooling and publishing effort gave about 300,000 people in the Highlands some basic literacy. Very few European languages have made the transition to a modern literary language without an early modern translation of
6321-403: The 2007 election, Harvie was returned with a reduced share of the vote. The tight parliamentary arithmetic and a constructive relationship with the Scottish National Party (SNP) led to a Co-operation Agreement between the two parties. Under this, Harvie was elected to be convene the Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee, an office he held until 2011. Despite working closer with
6450-404: The 2011 Census. The 2011 total population figure comes from table KS101SC. The numbers of Gaelic speakers relate to the numbers aged 3 and over, and the percentages are calculated using those and the number of the total population aged 3 and over. Across the whole of Scotland, the 2011 census showed that 25,000 people (0.49% of the population) used Gaelic at home. Of these, 63.3% said that they had
6579-525: The 2019 general election they contested significantly more seats in 22 constituencies. They failed to win any seats and lost their deposit in every contest. The 2017 Scottish local elections saw 'real progress' with the party returning 14 councillors across Scotland, with 8 in the City of Edinburgh Council . The Scottish Greens contested the 2019 European Parliament election in the United Kingdom , with co-convenor Maggie Chapman as lead candidate and rising stars Lorna Slater and Gillian Mackay also on
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#17327690220016708-407: The 4th–5th centuries CE, by settlers from Ireland who founded the Gaelic kingdom of Dál Riata on Scotland's west coast in present-day Argyll . An alternative view has been voiced by archaeologist Ewan Campbell , who has argued that the putative migration or takeover is not reflected in archaeological or placename data (as pointed out earlier by Leslie Alcock ). Campbell has also questioned
6837-494: The Bible; the lack of a well known translation may have contributed to the decline of Scottish Gaelic. Counterintuitively, access to schooling in Gaelic increased knowledge of English. In 1829, the Gaelic Schools Society reported that parents were unconcerned about their children learning Gaelic, but were anxious to have them taught English. The SSPCK also found Highlanders to have significant prejudice against Gaelic. T. M. Devine attributes this to an association between English and
6966-440: The Cass Review should be proposed by clinicians and not by politicians. Ash Regan , an MSP who had defected from the SNP to the Alba Party , launched a motion of no confidence in Harvie's ministership for "siding with ideology over science". After ending the Bute House Agreement, thereby removing the Greens from government, Humza Yousaf said that SNP MSPs had been "upset" by Harvie's comments, but that it had not "necessarily" been
7095-399: The Cross Party Group (CPG) on Human Rights, and helped to establish a CPG on Sexual Health. He became the male co-convenor of the Scottish Greens on 22 September 2008 after being the only person to stand for the position, after Robin Harper resigned. He is the first openly bisexual leader of a political party in the United Kingdom. Following the Green Party's disappointing performance in
7224-498: The EU's institutions. The Scottish government had to pay for the translation from Gaelic to other European languages . The deal was received positively in Scotland; Secretary of State for Scotland Jim Murphy said the move was a strong sign of the UK government's support for Gaelic. He said; "Allowing Gaelic speakers to communicate with European institutions in their mother tongue is a progressive step forward and one which should be welcomed". Culture Minister Mike Russell said; "this
7353-484: The Forth–Clyde line and along the northeastern coastal plain as far north as Moray. Norman French completely displaced Gaelic at court. The establishment of royal burghs throughout the same area, particularly under David I , attracted large numbers of foreigners speaking Old English. This was the beginning of Gaelic's status as a predominantly rural language in Scotland. Clan chiefs in the northern and western parts of Scotland continued to support Gaelic bards who remained
7482-415: The Gaelic Act falls so far short of the status accorded to Welsh that one would be foolish or naïve to believe that any substantial change will occur in the fortunes of the language as a result of Bòrd na Gàidhlig 's efforts. On 10 December 2008, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights , the Scottish Human Rights Commission had the UDHR translated into Gaelic for
7611-582: The Gaelic aristocracy rejected their anglicised sons and instead backed Malcolm's brother Domnall Bán ( Donald III ). Donald had spent 17 years in Gaelic Ireland and his power base was in the thoroughly Gaelic west of Scotland. He was the last Scottish monarch to be buried on Iona , the traditional burial place of the Gaelic Kings of Dàl Riada and the Kingdom of Alba. However, during the reigns of Malcolm Canmore's sons, Edgar, Alexander I and David I (their successive reigns lasting 1097–1153), Anglo-Norman names and practices spread throughout Scotland south of
7740-406: The Greens, such as campaigning against the extension to the M74 motorway in Glasgow and for more 'mainstream' issues such as opposition to the Identity Cards Bill . He also supported campaigners concerned about the health impacts of tasers. Quickly after becoming an MSP he caused some controversy by proposing civil partnership legislation in the Scottish Parliament . Though this legislation
7869-442: The Highland and Island region. In 1616, the Privy Council proclaimed that schools teaching in English should be established. Gaelic was seen, at this time, as one of the causes of the instability of the region. It was also associated with Catholicism. The Society in Scotland for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge (SSPCK) was founded in 1709. They met in 1716, immediately after the failed Jacobite rising of 1715 , to consider
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#17327690220017998-416: The Highlands and Islands, including Argyll. In many cases, this has simply meant re-adopting the traditional spelling of a name (such as Ràtagan or Loch Ailleart rather than the anglicised forms Ratagan or Lochailort respectively). Some monolingual Gaelic road signs, particularly direction signs, are used on the Outer Hebrides , where a majority of the population can have a working knowledge of
8127-405: The Housing Bill, as well as on issues of homelessness , debt , the planning system and building standards . In 2004 Harvie was given the 'One to Watch' award at the annual Scottish Politician of the Year event. In addition to the Communities portfolio, Harvie covered the Justice portfolio for the Greens, and has been active on a number of civil liberties issues. He has also been convener of
8256-426: The Inner Hebridean dialects of Tiree and Islay, and even a few native speakers from Western Highland areas including Wester Ross , northwest Sutherland , Lochaber and Argyll . Dialects on both sides of the Straits of Moyle (the North Channel ) linking Scottish Gaelic with Irish are now extinct, though native speakers were still to be found on the Mull of Kintyre , on Rathlin and in North East Ireland as late as
8385-410: The Irish language ( Gaeilge ) and the Manx language ( Gaelg ). Scottish Gaelic is distinct from Scots , the Middle English -derived language which had come to be spoken in most of the Lowlands of Scotland by the early modern era . Prior to the 15th century, this language was known as Inglis ("English") by its own speakers, with Gaelic being called Scottis ("Scottish"). Beginning in
8514-399: The SNP government. A slightly amended version of the budget was passed easily the following week with the support of other parties. At the party's 2010 conference, Robin Harper announced that he would not seek re-election in the 2011 Scottish Parliament election . The party's election campaign was launched with a focus on investment into public services paid for by tax raises. In the end,
8643-512: The SNP, he remained opposed to the Scottish Government's infrastructure projects, including his longstanding opposition to the M74 motorway and their planning framework, claiming it represented only "more bridges, more airport expansion, and barely a thought for the major renewables projects that should be front and centre in a document like this". However, he was also able to secure the Scottish Government's support for legislation to tackle LGBT and disability hate crime. In 2015, Harvie witnessed
8772-426: The Scottish Parliament, Harvie worked within the Gay Men's Project at the sexual health organisation PHACE West , later PHACE Scotland and now part of the Terrence Higgins Trust . He was initially a youth worker and later as Development Worker for the Lanarkshire Health Board area. Although this work was principally concerned with HIV prevention, it also involved Harvie in equality campaigning. Harvie also had
8901-449: The Scottish budget and secure agreement between his party and the SNP. During his tenure, COP26 was held in his home city of Glasgow and Harvie used to occasion to raise the issue of Scottish independence with world leaders. He also got into a dispute with Greenpeace , which had recently criticised Nicola Sturgeon. Sturgeon had asked the British Government whether the new Cambo oil field near Shetland should be "reassessed" in light of
9030-469: The Tories". After changes to their constitution, Harvie was elected co-leader of Scottish Greens alongside Lorna Slater in a 2019 co-leadership election . With Slater, Harvie led their party into the 2021 Scottish Parliament election and won eight seats, the most Greens ever elected to the Scottish Parliament. In August 2021 after weeks of talks, he was at Bute House with his co-leader Lorna Slater and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to announce
9159-428: The UK Government as Welsh . With the advent of devolution , however, Scottish matters have begun to receive greater attention, and it achieved a degree of official recognition when the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act was enacted by the Scottish Parliament on 21 April 2005. The key provisions of the Act are: After its creation, Bòrd na Gàidhlig required a Gaelic Language Plan from the Scottish Government. This plan
9288-826: The Western Isles (−1,745), Argyll & Bute (−694), and Highland (−634). The drop in Stornoway , the largest parish in the Western Isles by population, was especially acute, from 57.5% of the population in 1991 to 43.4% in 2011. The only parish outside the Western Isles over 40% Gaelic-speaking is Kilmuir in Northern Skye at 46%. The islands in the Inner Hebrides with significant percentages of Gaelic speakers are Tiree (38.3%), Raasay (30.4%), Skye (29.4%), Lismore (26.9%), Colonsay (20.2%), and Islay (19.0%). Today, no civil parish in Scotland has
9417-644: The Western Isles. The Scottish Qualifications Authority offer two streams of Gaelic examination across all levels of the syllabus: Gaelic for learners (equivalent to the modern foreign languages syllabus) and Gaelic for native speakers (equivalent to the English syllabus). An Comunn Gàidhealach performs assessment of spoken Gaelic, resulting in the issue of a Bronze Card, Silver Card or Gold Card. Syllabus details are available on An Comunn's website. These are not widely recognised as qualifications, but are required for those taking part in certain competitions at
9546-522: The age and reliability of the medieval historical sources speaking of a conquest. Instead, he has inferred that Argyll formed part of a common Q-Celtic -speaking area with Ireland, connected rather than divided by the sea, since the Iron Age. These arguments have been opposed by some scholars defending the early dating of the traditional accounts and arguing for other interpretations of the archaeological evidence. Regardless of how it came to be spoken in
9675-473: The announcement by Màiri McAllan that the Scottish Government's legally binding target to see a 75% percent reduction in emissions by 2030 would not be achieved and was to be scrapped, an extraordinary general meeting was called by Scottish Green Party members to discuss the future of the agreement. On the 25th April 2024, following a meeting at Bute House, it was decided that the power sharing agreement would come to an end. The Scottish Greens intend to contest
9804-511: The annual mods . In October 2009, a new agreement allowed Scottish Gaelic to be formally used between Scottish Government ministers and European Union officials. The deal was signed by Britain's representative to the EU, Sir Kim Darroch , and the Scottish government . This did not give Scottish Gaelic official status in the EU but gave it the right to be a means of formal communications in
9933-532: The bill be strengthened, a revised bill was published; the main alteration was that the guidance of the Bòrd is now statutory (rather than advisory). In the committee stages in the Scottish Parliament, there was much debate over whether Gaelic should be given 'equal validity' with English. Due to executive concerns about resourcing implications if this wording was used, the Education Committee settled on
10062-532: The breakthrough in Holyrood, the party failed to elect any candidates in the 2004 European Parliament election , 2005 Westminster elections . In the 2007 Scottish Parliament election , the party lost five seats in Holyrood , leaving the party with just two MSPs. The result was disappointing as polls initially suggested the party would remain with seven MSPs. However, in the council elections, taking place under
10191-400: The bulk of welfare policy, energy, transport, employment law and human rights law should be transferred to Holyrood. In 2015, Maggie Chapman was challenged as co-convenor by activist Zara Kitson in the party's internal elections. The election was notable as it was the first time an incumbent co-convenor faced a serious challenge, all to date had been re-elected as the sole nominees. Chapman
10320-625: The census of pupils in Scotland showed 520 students in publicly funded schools had Gaelic as the main language at home, an increase of 5% from 497 in 2014. During the same period, Gaelic medium education in Scotland has grown, with 4,343 pupils (6.3 per 1000) being educated in a Gaelic-immersion environment in 2018, up from 3,583 pupils (5.3 per 1000) in 2014. Data collected in 2007–2008 indicated that even among pupils enrolled in Gaelic medium schools, 81% of primary students and 74% of secondary students report using English more often than Gaelic when speaking with their mothers at home. The effect on this of
10449-568: The cities and professors of Celtic from universities who sought to preserve the language. The Education (Scotland) Act 1872 provided universal education in Scotland, but completely ignored Gaelic in its plans. The mechanism for supporting Gaelic through the Education Codes issued by the Scottish Education Department were steadily used to overcome this omission, with many concessions in place by 1918. However,
10578-549: The climate crisis. However, Greenpeace said fence sitting was not good enough and urged the First Minister to "stop hiding behind Boris Johnson" and oppose the oilfield. Harvie said the organisation did not understand Scottish politics and the SNP's attachment to the oil industry . "I do think that we are more actively plugged into the Scottish political agenda than Greenpeace," Harvie told journalists. "And I do think Greenpeace, understandably, look at issues such as Cambo in
10707-499: The concept of 'equal respect'. It is not clear what the legal force of this wording is. The Act was passed by the Scottish Parliament unanimously, with support from all sectors of the Scottish political spectrum, on 21 April 2005. Under the provisions of the Act, it will ultimately fall to BnG to secure the status of the Gaelic language as an official language of Scotland. Some commentators, such as Éamonn Ó Gribín (2006) argue that
10836-499: The dialect of the Scottish Gaelic language, and also mixed use of English and Gaelic across the Highlands and Islands. Dialects of Lowland Gaelic have been defunct since the 18th century. Gaelic in the Eastern and Southern Scottish Highlands, although alive until the mid-20th century, is now largely defunct. Although modern Scottish Gaelic is dominated by the dialects of the Outer Hebrides and Isle of Skye, there remain some speakers of
10965-612: The election, co-convenor Shiona Baird lost her seat, and did not re-stand for election as co-convenor. She was replaced by then Edinburgh councillor Alison Johnstone in November 2007. Robin Harper and Johnstone did not seek re-election in 2008 as co-convenor. While Harvie was the sole nominee for the male co-convenor, there was 3 candidates for female co-convenor: former MSP Eleanor Scott , Glasgow councillor Nina Baker and Edinburgh councillor Maggie Chapman . The role of female co-convenor
11094-582: The entire region of modern-day Scotland was called Scotia in Latin, and Gaelic was the lingua Scotica . In southern Scotland , Gaelic was strong in Galloway , adjoining areas to the north and west, West Lothian , and parts of western Midlothian . It was spoken to a lesser degree in north Ayrshire , Renfrewshire , the Clyde Valley and eastern Dumfriesshire . In south-eastern Scotland, there
11223-465: The first election to this Parliament, in 1999, the Scottish Green Party got one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) elected by proportional representation, Robin Harper , the UK's first elected Green parliamentarian. In the 2003 Scottish Parliament election , the Scottish Greens added six new MSPs to their previous total. The result was a surprise for the party. Afterwards, Harper stood for election for First Minister , securing six votes. Despite
11352-480: The first same-sex wedding in Scotland, alongside Nicola Sturgeon who officiated it. Harvie is a supporter of Scottish independence and voted 'Yes' in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum . In the run up to the referendum, he was part of the Yes Scotland campaign and campaigned alongside Nicola Sturgeon . While he campaigned in-favour, not as a ' nationalist ', Harvie stated the cause for independence
11481-560: The first time. However, given there are no longer any monolingual Gaelic speakers, following an appeal in the court case of Taylor v Haughney (1982), involving the status of Gaelic in judicial proceedings, the High Court ruled against a general right to use Gaelic in court proceedings. While the goal of the Gaelic Language Act was to aid in revitalization efforts through government mandated official language status,
11610-442: The independence referendum, the Scottish Greens experienced a massive surge in membership, including future co-leader Lorna Slater . The party claimed that, for a period in the day after the referendum, it gained a member every 15 seconds. The party's then co-convenors, Harvie and Chapman were chosen by the party to serve as its representatives on the post-referendum Smith Commission . The party argued that full powers on income tax,
11739-479: The initiatives must come from within Gaelic speaking communities, be led by Gaelic speakers, and be designed to serve and increase fluency within the vernacular communities as the first and most viable resistance to total language shift from Gaelic to English. Currently, language policies are focused on creating new language speakers through education, instead of focused on how to strengthen intergenerational transmission within existing Gaelic speaking communities. In
11868-502: The language. Compared with the 2001 Census, there has been a diminution of about 1300 people. This is the smallest drop between censuses since the Gaelic-language question was first asked in 1881. The Scottish government's language minister and Bòrd na Gàidhlig took this as evidence that Gaelic's long decline has slowed. The main stronghold of the language continues to be the Outer Hebrides ( Na h-Eileanan Siar ), where
11997-495: The language. These omit the English translation entirely. Bilingual railway station signs are now more frequent than they used to be. Practically all the stations in the Highland area use both English and Gaelic, and the use of bilingual station signs has become more frequent in the Lowlands of Scotland, including areas where Gaelic has not been spoken for a long time. Patrick Harvie Patrick Harvie (born 18 March 1973)
12126-532: The late 15th century, it became increasingly common for such speakers to refer to Scottish Gaelic as Erse ("Irish") and the Lowland vernacular as Scottis . Today, Scottish Gaelic is recognised as a separate language from Irish, so the word Erse in reference to Scottish Gaelic is no longer used. Based on medieval traditional accounts and the apparent evidence from linguistic geography, Gaelic has been commonly believed to have been brought to Scotland, in
12255-406: The leadership campaign, the party had suggested it would not support a government led by the other candidates. The party's co-leaders served as ministers in the first Yousaf government from August 2021 to April 2024. In government, the party introduced the first government bill from a Green Minister. On 3 August 2023, Robin Harper , the party's first MSP resigned, claiming the party had 'lost
12384-633: The legislation. In April 2024, Harvie commented on the Cass Review , a review of gender identity services in England, led by retired paediatrician Hilary Cass . Harvie told the BBC that he did not see the Cass Review as a valid scientific document as he had "seen far too many criticisms" of it. After Harvie's statements, a Scottish Government spokesperson said that decisions such as those proposed in
12513-590: The limited nature of the agreement. But they left open the door to further negotiations should the Scottish Liberal Democrats join the First Salmond government . Given the present situation that (the SNP) are going to be forming a minority government, it really didn't seem to make sense for us to tie ourselves closely into confidence and supply or into coalition, because we have serious reservations about many SNP policies, particularly their transport policies During
12642-400: The list. The party failed to elect any MEPs despite other Green parties having significant success across Europe. In August 2019, a newly adopted constitution by the party led to the 2019 Scottish Green Party co-leadership election , where Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater were elected as co-leaders with 43.1% and 30.2% respectively. In the 2021 Scottish Parliament election , the party won
12771-459: The members of Highland school boards tended to have anti-Gaelic attitudes and served as an obstacle to Gaelic education in the late 19th and early 20th century. Loss of life due to World War I and the 1919 sinking of the HMY Iolaire , combined with emigration, resulted in the 1910s seeing unprecedented damage to the use of Scottish Gaelic, with a 46% fall in monolingual speakers and
12900-734: The mid-20th century. Records of their speech show that Irish and Scottish Gaelic existed in a dialect chain with no clear language boundary. Some features of moribund dialects have been preserved in Nova Scotia, including the pronunciation of the broad or velarised l ( l̪ˠ ) as [w] , as in the Lochaber dialect. The Endangered Languages Project lists Gaelic's status as "threatened", with "20,000 to 30,000 active users". UNESCO classifies Gaelic as " definitely endangered ". The 1755–2001 figures are census data quoted by MacAulay. The 2011 Gaelic speakers figures come from table KS206SC of
13029-532: The modern era. Some of this was driven by policy decisions by government or other organisations, while some originated from social changes. In the last quarter of the 20th century, efforts began to encourage use of the language. The Statutes of Iona , enacted by James VI in 1609, was one piece of legislation that addressed, among other things, the Gaelic language. It required the heirs of clan chiefs to be educated in lowland, Protestant, English-speaking schools. James VI took several such measures to impose his rule on
13158-459: The new Single Transferable Vote voting system, they gained three Councillors on the City of Edinburgh Council and five Councillors on Glasgow City Council . Co-convenor Robin Harper blamed the loss on spoiled ballot papers and the campaign focusing on larger parties. Despite the loss of MSPs, the party gained influence with the new SNP government. On 11 May, the Greens signed an agreement with
13287-421: The number of members had risen to 7,646. The Scottish Greens hold conferences every Spring and Autumn, where members from throughout Scotland attend to deal with all the business of the party, with members voting on conference motions and policy motions. There are two key bodies which steer the party between conferences: party council and the national executive. The party council can, with some exceptions, act as
13416-434: The number of speakers of the language under age 20 did not decrease between the 2001 and 2011 censuses. In the 2022 census of Scotland , it was found that 2.5% of the Scottish population had some skills in Gaelic, or 130,161 persons. Of these, 69,701 people reported speaking the language, with a further 46,404 people reporting that they understood the language, but did not speak, read, or write in it. Outside of Scotland,
13545-695: The official language of government and law. Scotland's emergent nationalism in the era following the conclusion of the Wars of Scottish Independence was organized using Scots as well. For example, the nation's great patriotic literature including John Barbour's The Brus (1375) and Blind Harry's The Wallace (before 1488) was written in Scots, not Gaelic. By the end of the 15th century, English/Scots speakers referred to Gaelic instead as 'Yrisch' or 'Erse', i.e. Irish and their own language as 'Scottis'. A steady shift away from Scottish Gaelic continued into and through
13674-459: The outcome of the act is distanced from the actual minority language communities. It helps to create visibility of the minority language in civil structures, but does not impact or address the lived experiences of the Gaelic speaker communities wherein the revitalization efforts may have a higher return of new Gaelic speakers. Efforts are being made to concentrate resources, language planning, and revitalization efforts towards vernacular communities in
13803-560: The overall proportion of speakers is 52.2%. Important pockets of the language also exist in the Highlands (5.4%) and in Argyll and Bute (4.0%) and Inverness (4.9%). The locality with the largest absolute number is Glasgow with 5,878 such persons, who make up over 10% of all of Scotland's Gaelic speakers. Gaelic continues to decline in its traditional heartland. Between 2001 and 2011, the absolute number of Gaelic speakers fell sharply in
13932-561: The party only elected 2 MSPs in the 2011. Despite not moving forward, the party was the only 'minor' Scottish party which achieved representation in the Scottish Parliament after 2011 when the Scottish Socialist Party , Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party and others lost seats. In November 2013, Edinburgh councillor Maggie Chapman succeeded Glasgow councillor Martha Wardrop as the party's female co-convenor after she did not seek re-election, while Patrick Harvie
14061-493: The party's vision of independence was progressive, and explicitly not nationalistic. He also argued that devolution did not go far enough to tackle issues important to Scots like austerity. For me, it's got nothing to do with flags, or 300 years of history; it's about the future. And I think that the best way [...] of changing Scotland However, some in the party were opposed to independence, including former convenor Robin Harper who said that he would "absolutely vote No". After
14190-499: The plot'. Harper announced he would vote Labour in the 2024 UK general election . Nonetheless, the party also enjoyed an unprecedented level of support. The 2022 Scottish local elections saw a record result for the party, doubling its seat count to 35. The party elected councillors for the first time in North Lanarkshire , South Lanarkshire , Argyll and Bute , Clackmannanshire , Shetland , East Lothian , Moray and
14319-596: The preceding decade. However, critics and supporters of the party agreed that the agreement had allowed the party to have a lot of influence on the Scottish government. After the election of Humza Yousaf as Leader of the Scottish National Party , the Scottish Green Party National Council unanimously voted to direct its MSPs to vote for Yousaf to become First Minister and continue their power-sharing agreement. During
14448-466: The prosperity of employment: the Highland economy relied greatly on seasonal migrant workers travelling outside the Gàidhealtachd . In 1863, an observer sympathetic to Gaelic stated that "knowledge of English is indispensable to any poor islander who wishes to learn a trade or to earn his bread beyond the limits of his native Isle". Generally, rather than Gaelic speakers, it was Celtic societies in
14577-460: The reform and civilisation of the Highlands, which they sought to achieve by teaching English and the Protestant religion. Initially, their teaching was entirely in English, but soon the impracticality of educating Gaelic-speaking children in this way gave rise to a modest concession: in 1723, teachers were allowed to translate English words in the Bible into Gaelic to aid comprehension, but there
14706-535: The region, Gaelic in Scotland was mostly confined to Dál Riata until the eighth century, when it began expanding into Pictish areas north of the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde. During the reign of Caustantín mac Áeda (Constantine II, 900–943), outsiders began to refer to the region as the kingdom of Alba rather than as the kingdom of the Picts. However, though the Pictish language did not disappear suddenly,
14835-491: Was "for a vision of Scotland as a peaceful country with social justice, equality and environmental protection at its core". Re-elected in 2016 , Harvie joined the Finance and Constitution Committee and became Scottish Greens Spokesperson for Finance, Economy, Fair Work and Equalities. In 2017, Harvie supported the successful North Kelvin meadow campaign to take over an area of greenspace into community ownership, as part of
14964-609: Was a member of the Communities Committee of the Scottish Parliament throughout the 2nd Scottish Parliament and served as Scottish Greens Spokesperson for Justice and Communities from 2003 to 2005 and Spokesperson for Justice, Communities, Europe and Constitutional Affairs from 2005 to 2007. Through his work on the Communities Committee, he worked on the Anti-social behaviour Bill, the Charities Bill and
15093-399: Was accepted in 2008, and some of its main commitments were: identity (signs, corporate identity); communications (reception, telephone, mailings, public meetings, complaint procedures); publications (PR and media, websites); staffing (language learning, training, recruitment). Following a consultation period, in which the government received many submissions, the majority of which asked that
15222-454: Was appointed Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights . He and Slater are the first Green Party politicians in both Scottish and UK political history to serve in government. In April 2023, Harvie was the subject of criticism after Mandy Rhodes of Holyrood magazine claimed she felt bullied by him. As part of the Scottish budget process in 2023, he attended emergency Cabinet meetings as part of efforts to finalize
15351-496: Was appointed as male co-convenor of the Scottish Greens, serving alongside Eleanor Scott , Martha Wardrop and Maggie Chapman . In 2019, following a constitutional change in the Green Party, he ran for co-leadership in the August election. He was elected alongside Lorna Slater . As Slater was not an MSP at the time, Alison Johnstone fulfilled her role within the Scottish Parliament, until May 2021 . In August 2021, after entering
15480-487: Was approved by 83% of Scottish Green members, and secured a two-thirds majority vote of the party's National Council. This was required under the party's constitution for the agreement to be ratified. Academic Professor Nicola McEwen suggested that the agreement "sometimes pushes [the SNP] further" particularly on climate, social and fair work policy. She also argues that the two parties had already converged on many issues over
15609-522: Was considering 'shelving' another referendum, Harvie called on the Scottish Government to "keep its promise to pass an independence bill to protect Scotland from a hard Brexit." He has argued that the 2014 independence campaign was wrong to advocate to keep the pound and publish an "encyclopaedic White Paper, as it contained too many things for people to dislike," He also criticised Labour when led by Jeremy Corbyn , calling it "feeble", but nonetheless called for "progressive forces to join together to take on
15738-633: Was criticised as creating a "ten-year timebomb" by the Scottish Conservatives . As well as a supporter of Scottish independence, Harvie supports an independent Scottish republic . He has been highly critical of the British monarchy , calling for the monarch to be replaced with a "democratically accountable head of state", as well as describing the Royal Family an "outdated, discredited and totally undemocratic institution". Harvie
15867-554: Was long suppressed. The UK government has ratified the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in respect of Gaelic. Gaelic, along with Irish and Welsh, is designated under Part III of the Charter, which requires the UK Government to take a range of concrete measures in the fields of education, justice, public administration, broadcasting and culture. It has not received the same degree of official recognition from
15996-510: Was no further permitted use. Other less prominent schools worked in the Highlands at the same time, also teaching in English. This process of anglicisation paused when evangelical preachers arrived in the Highlands, convinced that people should be able to read religious texts in their own language. The first well known translation of the Bible into Scottish Gaelic was made in 1767, when James Stuart of Killin and Dugald Buchanan of Rannoch produced
16125-711: Was re-elected. During the 2014 Scottish independence referendum , the party participated in the cross-party Yes Scotland campaign in favour of Scottish independence . Co-convenor Patrick Harvie sat on the campaign's advisory board. Briefly, the party withdrew from Yes Scotland. However, the party's 2012 conference overturned the decision. The party also joined the Radical Independence Campaign . The party's own campaign of 'Green Yes' launched in October 2013, and advocated that only independence could deliver radical change, with Harvie also arguing that
16254-483: Was re-elected. In the leadup to the 2016 Scottish Parliament election , the party campaigned with a focus on tax-rises for the rich, with co-convenor Patrick Harvie saying it would be "agenda item one" in any post-election talks with the SNP. The party's selection process of co-convenor Maggie Chapman as lead candidate in the North East Scotland region for the 2016 election attracted controversy. In
16383-422: Was taken to Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament demonstrations as a child. Harvie describes his teenage self as "Awkward, self-conscious, uncomfortable. I was always the small kid in class. Crap at sport. Speccy . Good marks" Harvie attended Dumbarton Academy from 1984 to 1991. He then studied at Manchester Metropolitan University , where he was briefly a member of the Labour Party . Before being elected to
16512-497: Was ultimately handled at Westminster and covered the whole UK, the distinctive Scottish proposals helped to stimulate some public debate north of the border, both on the issue of same-sex relationships and on the process known as a Legislative Consent Motion by which the Scottish Parliament allows Westminster to legislate for the whole UK. When civil partnerships were introduced, Harvie condemned councils who enabled staff not to conduct same-sex civil partnership ceremonies. Harvie
16641-549: Was won by Scott. During the 2009 Scottish budget process, the Scottish Greens demanded an £1 billion home insulation programme over 10 years. The SNP Scottish Government offered £22 million for a 'pilot' project. The party decided this compromise was not acceptable. On 28 January 2009, the two Green MSPs were instrumental in the defeat of the Government's budget. The move surprised some commentators, whose leadership had until this point been marked with increased cooperation with
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