Author Archives: Mark Lazarowicz
Federalism is not enough
(This post was first published on Labour Hame (8 September 2020), at https://labourhame.com/federalism-is-not-enough/) The Scottish Government has recently made it clear that it will be seeking a mandate at next year’s Scottish Parliament elections to hold a referendum on independence. … Continue reading
The extension of the ‘Community Right to Buy’
The Community Right to Buy (‘CRTB’) was first introduced by the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 (the ‘2003 Act’)[1]. It allows a ‘community body’ to register an interest in ‘registerable land’, which gave it a pre-emptive right to buy if … Continue reading
Now out! New book on the Scottish Parliament
Along with Jean McFadden, I have written a new book on the Scottish Parliament: The Scottish Parliament: Law and Practice (Mark Lazarowicz and Jean McFadden). It is published by Edinburgh University Press, (£40 Paperback) 296pp. You can order copies here: https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-the-scottish-parliament.html … Continue reading
Picardy Place decision has wider implications
This is my response to Edinburgh City Council’s consultation on the redevelopment of Picardy Place. It is a local issue, but with wider implications: Consultation on Picardy Place – with comments also on Leith Street proposals I am writing in response … Continue reading
Devolution after Brexit: ‘Power Grab’ or a ‘Significant Increase in Decision-making Power’
One of the questions that arose very soon after the EU referendum was what would happen to the powers currently exercised by the EU over areas of government activity which would otherwise be devolved. The initial assumption in many quarters … Continue reading
Time to make the most of trams
It looks like the long-awaited Edinburgh tram extension is finally about to happen. The case for the extension is stronger than ever. Edinburgh’s expected population growth over the next few decades means that the city must develop a modern public … Continue reading
Let’s make Edinburgh’s transport more visitor-friendly
I was sitting on an Edinburgh bus the other day, and a scene developed which will be all too familiar to regular users of our city’s normally excellent public transport. A family, obviously tourists, got on the bus and tried … Continue reading
Ten Big Brexit Issues: Questions for the General Election
Kirsty Hughes, the director of the leading Scottish European think tank, the Scottish Centre on European Relations, has set down an excellent set of questions which ought to be considered in the 2017 General Election campaign. I thought it would … Continue reading
What happens with the ‘progressive alliance’ now?
So, it looks as if there won’t be a ‘progressive alliance’, at least involving Labour or the LibDems, for the 2017 General Election. I’m not surprised, although I thought Jeremy Corbyn might at least have kept the door slightly ajar … Continue reading
Would EU citizens be able to vote in a second Scottish independence referendum?
As the prospect of a second referendum on Scottish independence has now come back on the agenda, I thought it would be useful to look at the question of whether EU citizens resident in Scotland would be able to vote … Continue reading
