Greens leader Lorna Slater to contest Leith seat
Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater has been selected by local party members to stand in Edinburgh Northern and Leith in the Holyrood election.
Ms Slater is an electro-mechanical engineer working in marine renewable energy, most recently project-managing the construction of powertrains for the world’s most powerful tidal turbine, which is currently being assembled in Dundee.
A Leith resident, she stood in in the Leith Walk by-election in 2019 where she beat Labour to claim a strong second and was then elected co-leader of the party.
The Scottish Greens already have two councillors representing the area.
Commenting, Lorna Slater said: “I’m delighted to have been asked to run in the place I call home.
“Voters in Edinburgh North and Leith frequently see property developers put before people, our streets showing illegal levels of traffic pollution and our skies lit up by the Mossmorran gas plant in Fife. We have too many short-term lets and not enough affordable housing. That’s why we need a local Green MSP that pushes the SNP to take action on these issues and the climate emergency.
“We do things differently in Leith. I’m excited that this is the first time in the constituency vote here that voters will have the option to back the bold proposals the Scottish Greens have, for our future, for rejoining the European family as an independent country and leading the charge on renewable energy.”
The Scottish Greens have also confirmed Patrick Harvie will contest Glasgow Kelvin and Alison Johnstone will contest Edinburgh Central. More branches are still to declare.