We’reGreenandkeen to shake up status quo
Political Correspondent THE Greens in Glasgow are looking to youth to carry the party forward and build on recent council successes.
The party, which has had an MSP in the city since 2003 and got five councillors elected to the city chambers at the last local elections, is hoping for more gains next month.
It is standing in every one of the city’s 23 wards and in more than a third of them the baton is being carried by Young Greens.
The party enjoyed a membership boost during and following the independence referendum and it has appealed to many young people, bringing in new ideas and a larger base to build campaigns around.
In the newly-created Victoria Park ward in the west of the city Allan Faulds, an engineer who graduated from university four years ago, is looking to build local networks and improve community involvement decision making.
The former Young greens Coconvenor said he is encouraged by the number of young candidates.
He said: “I’m delighted to see so many fantastic Young Greens have joined me in putting themselves forward for election this year.
“It’s unsurprising that the Greens have done so well in encouraging young candidates, given that our members and voters are on average much younger than the other parties.”
He hopes to improve what he says is an under-representation of young people in politics
He added: “The decisions taken by councils across Scotland affect young people just as much as everyone else and it’s vital we have a voice in those council chambers.”
The Greens, as well as Patrick Harvie at Holyrood have had Nina Baker, Martin Bartos, Martha Wardrop and Kieran Wild as councillors across wards in the city.
Ms Baker is standing down in the Anderston/City ward and her replacement as Green candidate is another young Green, Christy Mearns. Ms Mearns, a community worker and photographer, said she wants to increase the presence of young people and women in politics.
She said she wants: “A society where wealth is distributed fairly amongst all who help create it and to put power in local people’s hands.”
Kim Long is the candidate in Dennistoun, another newly created ward, where the Greens are hopeful of success. She spoke when the party launched its local elections manifesto in Glasgow.
She said: “Our councils need more Green voices. We will speak up to protect public services, give our schools the resources they need, support our care staff and tackle the housing crisis.
“We need more Green councillors elected in towns and cities across Scotland, working with local residents and putting power back in communities where it belongs.”