Politics Morning Star
Greens renew calls for fireworks ban
SCOTTISH Greens have renewed their calls for a ban on private sales of fireworks in a bid to stop “dangerous, unorganised displays.” The demand comes as Police Scotland embed themselves with fire brig
English (original) ·Read in Deutsch ⇄
Poverty / 5 November 2026 Most believe Scottish government is failing on child homelessness 5 November 2026 Britain / 5 November 2026 TUC backs Labour’s corporate human rights plan 5 November 2026 Transport / 5 November 2026 Greens demand ‘concrete action’ on publicly controlled buses 5 November 2026 Britain / 5 November 2026 Prospect and Postal Museum sign recognition agreement 5 November 2026 Britain / 5 November 2026 British students hail US ‘youth revolt’ as they prepare for global walkouts 5 November 2026 SCOTTISH Greens have renewed their calls for a ban on private sales of fireworks in a bid to stop “dangerous, unorganised displays.”
The demand comes as Police Scotland embed themselves with fire brigade units and call in back-up from England and Wales after years of Bonfire Night-related disorder, which led to the creation of 16 Firework Control Zones (FCZ) in Edinburgh and four in Glasgow.
Scottish Green MSP for North East Scotland Maggie Chapman said: “Bonfire Night can be one of the most dangerous and stressful times of the year for people and animals.
“It is the high point in a period from the end of October to Hogmanay, where fireworks are consistently misused.”
Pointing to the death of a three-month-old red panda at Edinburgh Zoo in 2024, she continued: “Pet owners will be all too familiar with the anxiety faced by much-loved companion animals. And of course, wild animals suffer too.
“Only a couple of years ago, we witnessed the tragic death of Roxie in Edinburgh Zoo.
“The Scottish government cannot continue to ignore the reality — fireworks are explosives, and they are consistently misused.
“The private sale of fireworks must be banned.”
Insisting the Scottish government did not have the power “to enact a blanket ban,” Community Safety Minister Kirsten Oswald said: “Within the powers we do have, we’ve introduced a ban on buying fireworks for, or providing fireworks to, under-18s, and made attacks on emergency workers using fireworks an aggravating factor that courts can take into account when sentencing offenders.
“We have also provided local authorities with powers to designate FCZs, which ban the use of fireworks in local areas.”