GREEN MSP URGES PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN DEVO PROCESS
Alison Johnstone, Green MSP for Lothian, is calling for the Smith Commission on devolution to engage as many people as possible.
Summing up for the Scottish Greens this afternoon at the conclusion of Holyrood's two-day debate on the referendum outcome, Alison praised the fact that Scotland has become a participative democracy.
Tomorrow (Thu) at General Questions Alison will highlight the high voter turnout, and urge continued engagement.
It comes amid a surge of interest in the Scottish Greens, with almost 4,000 new members joining since polls closed a week ago, taking the party membership to over 5,600.
The party's biggest annual conference to date, in Edinburgh on 11 and 12 October, is now fully booked.
The surge of interest is also continuing on social media with the Scottish Greens' twitter account - @scotgp - now being followed by 20,400 people compared to Scottish Labour's 13,500. And the Scottish Green Party has 31,800 likes on Facebook compared to Scottish Labour's 5,900.
Alison Johnstone MSP said:
"Scotland has become a participative democracy. I feel encouraged and optimistic.
"People who wouldn’t have come along to a traditional hustings where politicians debate their manifestos came along with their questions and their own manifestos.
"As tight as the timescales that Lord Smith has been given to work to are, we must do all that we can to ensure those who contributed to the debate are given every opportunity to contribute to this process too.
"Greens were not campaigning for a wee version of Westminster. This debate has shown us that democracy begins at street level.
"We should be ambitious in our vision for what we can do, and willing to work with others to make it happen. If we do that, another better Scotland is possible."