Highlands and Islands Greens have today (8th May) confirmed they will not be contesting the forthcoming General Election. This means there will be no Scottish Green candidate on the ballot paper in any of the six constituencies* the branch covers on the 8th June.
Instead the party will be focussing on supporting their newly elected Councillors, and getting down to making a difference locally.
Highland and Islands Greens Convenor James MacKessack-Leitch said:
“We are delighted to have made breakthroughs in Highland and Orkney Islands Councils with our excellent candidates Pippa Hadley and Steve Sankey respectively. Our focus is not only on winning elections, but supporting those elected and making sure that the voters who have trusted us start to see Green policies enacted – that is our priority right now.”
“At any normal election we would be proud to field candidates and run a positive campaign, however, this is no normal election. This General Election has been called for naked party political purposes as the Tories attempt to crush Labour in England and Wales.”
“This immature behaviour has no relevance in the Highlands and Islands, let alone Scotland or Northern Ireland, but will only serve to increase voter apathy and anger at the way politics is conducted in this country, at a time when there are far bigger issues at stake.”
“This campaign has the potential to become entirely negative and much of the rhetoric is already toxic, so we will be active in pushing the candidates on a progressive path and to outline positive reasons why we should be casting our votes for them, rather than having to pick the lesser evil.”
“For clarity, we will not be endorsing any candidates. ”
*The six constituencies covered by Highlands and Islands Greens are: Moray; Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey; Ross, Skye and Lochaber; Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross; Orkney and Shetland; Na h-Eileanan an Iar.