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Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs)
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Sanne Dijkstra-Downie

Scottish Liberal Democrats

MSP for Edinburgh Northern (Constituency)

About Sanne Dijkstra-Downie

Contact details

Contact online

Career as MSP

Career as MSP

Scottish Liberal Democrats
MSP for Edinburgh Northern (Constituency)
07 May 2026 to present

Committees

Sanne Dijkstra-Downie is a member of 2 committees

Climate Action Committee

Member

Transport Committee

Substitute Member

Cross-party groups

Sanne Dijkstra-Downie is not a member of any cross-party groups

Parliamentary and Government Roles

Sanne Dijkstra-Downie does not have any parliamentary or government roles

Party Roles

Sanne Dijkstra-Downie has 1 party role

Spokesperson for Climate, Environment & Energy

Scottish Liberal Democrats

Previous roles

Sanne Dijkstra-Downie does not have any previous roles

Previous roles in cross-party groups are not included in this list.

Register of interests

Sanne Dijkstra-Downie's register of interests

MSPs must provide details of their financial interests in the Register of Interests. They make an initial statement on becoming or being returned as an MSP. This is then updated with any changes they provide.

Here is the register for Sanne Dijkstra-Downie. The date of their initial statement was 04 June 2026.

Remuneration and related undertaking

I am a self-employed professional face painter at Flair Face Painting. I spend occasional days on this role, typically during school holidays. I earn between £1,001 and £2,000 gross per annum.

I am a Councillor for the City of Edinburgh Council (of City Chambers, High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1YJ). Following my election, I spend approximately 30 hours per month on this role, which varies widely from week to week. I receive a salary and use of a mobile phone, laptop and tablet. I estimate the total combined value of this remuneration is between £25,001 and £30,000 per annum. The basic annual councillor salary is deducted from my MSP salary.

Gifts

No registrable interests.

Overseas visits

No registrable interests.

Controlled transactions

No registrable interests.

Heritable property

No registrable interests.

Interest in shares

No registrable interests.

Voluntary

No registrable interests.

Recent Activity

Official Report

What Sanne Dijkstra-Downie has said in Parliament

These are the official transcripts of what was said by this MSP in the chamber and at committee meetings. You'll find the topic discussed and how many times this MSP has contributed to the discussion.

Decision Time

Chamber meeting date: 23 September 2026

Sanne Dijkstra-Downie (Edinburgh Northern) (LD): "On a point of order, Presiding Officer. Apologies—I would have voted no."

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Chamber meeting date: 23 September 2026

Sanne Dijkstra-Downie (Edinburgh Northern) (LD): "Some dates are forever etched in your memory. On 4 June 2018, my husband phoned me from the sick kids hospital and said the words, “You have to come in; they have found a tumour’’—words that no parent wants to hear…

Additional Dwelling Supplement (Repayment Period)

Chamber meeting date: 17 September 2026

6. Sanne Dijkstra-Downie (Edinburgh Northern) (LD): "To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its consideration of changes to the additional dwelling supplement to take account of exceptional circumstances and introduce an extended repayment period for owners of properties affected by cladding and fire safety issues, including the Bond building in Edinburgh. (S7O-00245)"

Decision Time

Chamber meeting date: 17 September 2026

Sanne Dijkstra-Downie (Edinburgh Northern) (LD): "On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I would have voted no."

Climate Action

Climate Action Committee meeting date: 17 September 2026

Sanne Dijkstra-Downie (Edinburgh Northern) (LD): "Good morning, cabinet secretary and colleagues. I wanted to ask about nature targets…

Votes

How Sanne Dijkstra-Downie has voted in Parliament

Find out how Sanne Dijkstra-Downie has voted recently.

Growing Scotland’s Creative Economy

Motion ref. S7M-01304.2

Submitted by: Q Manivannan, Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Green Party. Date lodged: Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, September 24, 2026

Result 99 for, 16 against, 0 abstained, 14 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

Growing Scotland’s Creative Economy

Motion ref. S7M-01304.4

Submitted by: Murdo Fraser, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, September 24, 2026

Result 40 for, 65 against, 7 abstained, 17 did not vote

MSP abstained

Disagreed

Growing Scotland’s Creative Economy

Motion ref. S7M-01304

Submitted by: Màiri McAllan, Clydesdale, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, September 22, 2026

Supported by: Siobhian Brown, Martyn Day, Alyn Smith
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, September 24, 2026

Result 89 for, 22 against, 1 abstained, 17 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

Growing Scotland’s Creative Economy

Motion ref. S7M-01304.3

Submitted by: Katherine Sangster, Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Labour. Date lodged: Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, September 24, 2026

Result 46 for, 53 against, 15 abstained, 15 did not vote

MSP voted for

Disagreed

Growing Scotland’s Creative Economy

Motion ref. S7M-01304.1

Submitted by: David Kirkwood, South Scotland, Reform UK . Date lodged: Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, September 24, 2026

Result 15 for, 93 against, 7 abstained, 14 did not vote

MSP abstained

Disagreed

Motions

Motions made by Sanne Dijkstra-Downie in Parliament

Find out what motions Sanne Dijkstra-Downie has submitted recently.

Questions

Questions Sanne Dijkstra-Downie has asked

These are the questions that this MSP has asked in Parliament. It also includes any answer to those questions.

Question reference: S7W-03163

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats

Date lodged: 10 September 2026

Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 24 September 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has abandoned the Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill despite the significant work undertaken by various stakeholders and organisations to develop the Bill."

Question reference: S7O-00335

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats

Date lodged: 23 September 2026

Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 October 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government when it will commission feasibility studies on bringing sections of the Water of Leith and Wardie Bay into safe public usage, in light of its Programme for Government commitment."

Question reference: S7W-03468

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats

Date lodged: 21 September 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 5 October 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 100,000 properties identified in its Programme for Government are expected to have benefited from energy efficiency measures by the end of financial year 2026-27."

Question reference: S7W-03467

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats

Date lodged: 21 September 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 5 October 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that local communities receive meaningful financial benefits from new onshore renewable energy developments."

Question reference: S7W-03469

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats

Date lodged: 21 September 2026

Current Status: Answer expected on 5 October 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its updated Wildfire Strategic Action Plan and what additional measures the plan will contain to reduce the risk of wildfires."

Question reference: S7W-02905

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats

Date lodged: 3 September 2026

Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 September 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government how much money has been recovered from individuals and organisations involved in illegal waste operations in each of the last five years."

Question reference: S7W-02902

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats

Date lodged: 3 September 2026

Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 September 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government whether it has identified any illegal waste sites in Scotland containing more than 20,000 tonnes of waste, comparable to the "super sites" recently identified in England, and, if so, how many such sites are known to SEPA."

Question reference: S7W-02906

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats

Date lodged: 3 September 2026

Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 September 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the total cost to taxpayers of investigating, securing and clearing illegal waste sites over the last five years, and what proportion of these costs has subsequently been recovered from those responsible."

Question reference: S7W-02907

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats

Date lodged: 3 September 2026

Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 September 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government how many vehicles have been searched or seized using powers introduced under the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 in relation to suspected illegal waste activity, and how many of these cases have led to enforcement action since the introduction of the Act."

Question reference: S7W-02904

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats

Date lodged: 3 September 2026

Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 September 2026

"To ask the Scottish Government whether it is satisfied that the current definition and recording of waste crime adequately capture large-scale illegal waste operations, including sites where waste is deliberately stored or buried over an extended period, rather than being disposed of through fly-tipping."