GREENS SELECT ZARA KITSON FOR DUNFERMLINE BY-ELECTION
The Fife branch of the Scottish Green Party has selected Zara Kitson to be the party's candidate for the forthcoming Dunfermline by-election.
Zara, 27, is an organiser of So Say Scotland, a citizens' assembly inspired by constitutional innovation in Iceland, has an MA in Public Policy from Glasgow University, and is starting her own business, Dream Graft, to support other companies and communities going through change.
She is a member of National Collective, and an active campaigner for a Yes vote in next year's independence referendum. In 2012 she narrowly missed out on election to the Castle Ward on Stirling Council.
Fife Greens have also selected local GP Angela Dixon to contest the Dunfermline South council by-election being held on the same day.
Zara Kitson said:
"This is an extraordinary opportunity to get the Green message out in Dunfermline and to meet as many people as possible locally to discuss their aspirations for their community. I'm very grateful to the Fife Green Party for selecting me as their candidate, and to the offers of support I've had already from Green activists and members from across the country.
"It's fair to say Parliament hasn't always served the people of Dunfermline as well as it could, especially recently. This campaign must be about them, not us.
"The focus on Dunfermline should put all the Holyrood parties on the spot, and give local people the chance to tell us what they want and expect from us. Whatever the outcome, they deserve better representation in Parliament, and I'm confident they'll get it next month."
Mark Ruskell, former Green MSP for Mid-Scotland and Fife, said:
"Zara is one of the Scottish Greens' rising stars, and I was very pleased to be able to support her nomination for this campaign. She's hard-working, creative, and principled – we could not have a better candidate for this by-election, nor could there be a better future MSP for Dunfermline.
"The Fife branch, with the support of Greens from across the region, will pull out all the stops to get the best possible result here."