Cameron Eadie a voice for climate in Rutherglen and Hamilton West
The Scottish Greens candidate for the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election, Cameron Eadie, has warned that Labour and the Tories are failing generations of young people over the climate crisis.
His campaign will focus on taking action to tackle the climate crisis, securing Scotland’s return to the EU as an independent nation and eradicating child poverty by abolishing cruel Tory/Labour policies such as the two-child benefits cap and rape clause.
Cameron entered the race for the Westminster seat, saying: “It’s my generation and the next being left to deal with the carnage caused by successive Tory and Labour governments and their failures on climate.
“In fact it is worse than failure, they are actively causing climate breakdown. Rishi Sunak has announced a new coal mine and has now committed to more than 100 new licences to drill for oil and gas. It's climate vandalism.
"Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour are ditching their own climate plans, refusing to cancel those new oil and gas licences and rolling back on efforts to protect people from dangerous air pollution.
“That’s not climate leadership, that’s guilty pleas by climate criminals. We see for ourselves the apocalyptic scenes of devastation caused by this mind of inaction. Do they not realise that’s the future we face if they do nothing?”
“While they support burning more oil and gas, the Scottish Greens are delivering the change needed by both people and planet, like free bus travel for young people, investing record amounts in nature restoration and removing peak-time rail fares from this coming October.
“I’m standing in this election because Green voices have never been so vital. Every single vote for the Scottish Greens will be a vote against the Westminster status quo, a vote for change, and a vote for people and for planet. It’s as simple as that.”
Joining him at today’s campaign launch was Co-Leader Lorna Slater, who said: “We are at a crossroads where cynical politics of the past are being replaced by a new, positive vision of what the world should be, and we are so lucky to have Cameron championing that shift.
“By standing he will make sure green voices, and concerns for our climate and environment, will be heard in this election with a positive vision of a fairer, greener and thriving Scotland for all.”
Central Scotland (Region) MSP Gillian Mackay, flanked by supporters, said: “I’m so very proud of Cameron for standing, and for all the young people in our green movement who refuse to accept that this is how things have to be.
“We need change. We need to protect our planet for all of us, which is why Scottish Greens in government in Scotland are standing in this Westminster election. It is clear only a green vote can help bring about the action we need on climate, nature and biodiversity.”
Cameron, 20, brings the voice of Scotland’s younger generation to the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election, focusing on critical issues of the climate, nature and biodiversity crises that have been abandoned by Labour and the Tories in their desperation to appeal to big business, wealthy landowners and shareholders in the fossil fuel industry.
Born in Wishaw, his childhood was spent growing up in East Kilbride and Hamilton before he began studying a MA in Social and Public Policy at University of Glasgow.
He was an intern with the John Smith Centre working with now First Minister Humza Yousaf to focus on his specialist interest in health policy, and was a support worker with the mental health charity SAMH, and youth advisor working with King's College London.
Motivated by the climate crisis and equality, he joined the Scottish Greens in South Lanarkshire after the 2021 elections.
