Review the Mandatory Minimum Five-Year Prison Sentence for Firearms Offences
- 16 Signatures
The mandatory minimum sentence for possession of certain prohibited firearms was introduced in 2003, in response to concerns about gang-related firearms. While this approach is important for public safety, concerns have been raised about the limited flexibility available to courts in unusual circumstances
I believe there are cases where the current mandatory minimum may prevent courts from fully considering factors such as intent, risk posed to the public, personal circumstances, or the wider context of the offence.
Scottish courts must normally impose a minimum five-year custodial sentence unless “exceptional circumstances” are found, this means departures from the statutory minimum are rare.
This has led to situations where individuals who have not used a firearm, have no link to organised crime, or have acquired firearms in unusual circumstances—such as inheritance—may receive the same mandatory custodial sentence as someone involved in serious gang-related crime.
Our Change.org petition has 25,605 signatures and calls for Nicola's Law to End Medical Misogyny in Women's Healthcare.
Endometriosis and other chronic gynaecological conditions affect thousands of women in Scotland, yet diagnosis is often delayed for years.
Many women report feeling dismissed, disbelieved or told their symptoms are “normal”. Persistent unmanaged pain can severely impact education, employment, relationships and mental health. Research shows higher rates of anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts among those living with chronic pain conditions. In January 2024, Nicola died by suicide after years of severe endometriosis and unrelieved pain. Her death highlights the urgent need to address gender bias in healthcare, improve professional training, and ensure women’s physical and psychological symptoms are recognised early and treated with compassion and expertise.
The actions proposed in the petition would support the Scottish Women's Health Plan Women's Health Plan which recognises that women experience health inequalities.
Extend Young Persons' Free Bus Travel to include all under-26s
- 514 Signatures
The current age threshold at 21 creates a significant "cliff-edge" for young people transitioning into the workforce, apprenticeships, or higher education. While the scheme has been transformative for those under 22, the 22-25 age group remains heavily affected by high transport costs during a critical career establishment period.
The Government’s Fairer Scotland Duty requires reducing socio-economic disadvantage. The Under 26 Concessionary Fares Review (2022) identified transport costs as a major barrier to employment. Transport Scotland’s Year 1 Evaluation showed affordability rose from only 26% to 38% even after free travel for under-22s, highlighting ongoing barriers for 22-25 year-olds.
With £414.5 million already allocated to concessionary travel in 2025-26, the estimated £100 million for this extension is a strategic investment in Scotland’s workforce and net-zero goals. As major parties pledged this in their 2026 manifestos, Parliament must now turn these promises into action.
From 6 April 2026, the UK Government’s published LCWRA rates are £429.80 per month for protected claimants and £217.26 per month for most new claimants, a difference of £212.54 per month or £2,550.48 per year.
This creates a two-tier system in which disabled people who are newly assessed after 6 April 2026 receive substantially less support than those already protected. That reduction increases the risk of poverty, worsening health, housing insecurity, and social exclusion.
The Scottish Parliament already has powers to create new benefits in devolved areas and to top up reserved benefits, and Scotland already fully funds mitigation of the bedroom tax through Discretionary Housing Payments, with a published budget of £90.5 million in 2024/25.
This petition calls for an automatic, non-means-tested Scottish top-up payment that covers 100% of the £212.54 monthly gap for all new LCWRA awards in Scotland from 6 April 2026, without application or reassessment.
The type of scale I believe that we should be using is similar to the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme used in England, Wales and Northern Ireland where businesses are inspected and then given a hygiene rating between 5 (very good) and 0 (urgent improvement required).
https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/how-food-hygiene-ratings-work
The Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS) is a tax applied to the purchase of additional residential properties, introduced to discourage speculative buying and reduce pressure on housing supply. Its primary aim is to limit commercial investment that drives up house prices and restricts access for first-time buyers. ADS applies regardless of intent, meaning it also affects individuals purchasing homes for non-commercial reasons.
The impact of ADS has been significant. While it has helped curb some investment activity, it has also created unintended consequences for families buying property to support dependent relatives. These purchases are not for profit but to provide stable, suitable housing for vulnerable relatives. The tax can make this impossible, delaying housing solutions, forcing families into unsuitable housing, making essential purchases unaffordable, and increasing pressure on public services. A targeted waiver supports family care, independent living, and aligns the tax with its original purpose.
Support Retrofit Training for a Greener Scotland and Just Transition
- 109 Signatures
Scotland has committed to ambitious climate targets, requiring large-scale retrofitting of homes to ensure safe, effective installation of insulation, ventilation and low-carbon heating. These measures will also reduce fuel poverty and improve public health.
However, Scotland lacks one of the most fundamental ingredients for success: a large enough skilled, retrofit-ready workforce. A skilled workforce is central to safeguarding the public interest and delivering Scotland’s climate commitments.
A competent workforce is essential to protecting residents’ health, safety and wellbeing. Yet there is no dedicated government funding for retrofit-skills training, despite urgent and growing need.
This shortage risks poor-quality work, failure to meet national targets, harm to householders, and lost opportunities to rebuild trust in the industry and develop local community skills.
Introduce the Small Animal road signs in Scotland
- 1,015 Signatures
We are a hedgehog rescue service, and part of our mission is to raise awareness and help educate people on the hazards hedgehogs face. We want to help this vulnerable to extinction species as much as possible.
Hedgehogs are in the top 5 most commonly recorded roadkill species by the Citizen Science Project. 1 out of 3 will die on our roads.
We feel the wild animal signage (featuring the deer) should only cover larger animals and if you saw that sign you would not be looking out for small animals such as hedgehogs.
We held a poll and the overwhelming majority of people said that if they saw that sign they would think there was a danger of deer running out in front of them not hedgehogs!
We have had many orphaned hoglets into the rescue who have been found at the side of the road next to their deceased mothers.
Children with exceptional complex medical needs in Scotland receive intensive paediatric support including specialist teams, therapies, rapid hospital access and 24-hour clinical respite. However, when they reach adulthood these essential services are lost, not because their needs change, but because adult services aren't designed for individuals who remain medically and developmentally child-like for life. Families face crisis, unsafe care, and collapsing support. For young people in foster care the situation is worse: foster carers are told to either continue caring with no financial support or return the young person to institutional care. This denies stability, family life and equality.
Such young people lose vital paediatric support and family financial support when moved to adult institutional services that cannot meet their lifelong child-level needs. It is my view that Scotland must ensure continuity, safety, dignity and proper lifelong support for such young people.
Despite raising these concerns with the former Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and advisers, no meaningful action has been taken. A “stage not age” system is urgently needed to provide lifelong specialist care, therapies, proper respite and a lifelong foster care model. This petition is supported by many paediatric professionals.
Although the Scottish Government has produced guidance—most notably Respect for All—this guidance is not statutory and does not create a uniform, enforceable standard across all schools and local authorities.
The impact of bullying on young people can be significant and long-lasting. Many children experience anxiety, depression, trauma, sleep difficulties, and declining academic performance.
Children with additional support needs (ASN) are particularly vulnerable.
This highlights the need for a national framework that empowers schools and ensures accountability.