Greens seek major milestone in push for council elections

The Scottish Greens are seeking to reach another major milestone this election by forming their first group on Highland Council.

The party returned their first Highland councillor last term and are seeking to go one better in May.

Pippa Hadley took up her post for the Badenoch and Strathspey ward in 2017, becoming the first Green to hold a seat within the council chamber.

Progress has been made, with the Greens matching 2017’s total – even before the polls open.

Andrew Baldrey will be declared as a councillor for Caol and Mallaig on May 6 after only three candidates came forward for the three-member ward – the only uncontested ward in the Highland region. Mr Baldrey, who has experience as a councillor south of the border, expressed his delight but added that there is much work to do.

He said: “I have a manifesto to deliver which focuses on building a greener, fairer council that truly delivers for my community.”

For this election in Highland, the party has put forward 11 candidates – more than ever before.

Key priorities outlined in the Green manifesto include providing more affordable warm homes for locals, and good-quality homes available for rent for young people and families.

The Greens say they will push for all new publiclyowned housing to be built to Passivhaus standard to reduce fuel poverty,

increase quality of life and help the Highlands meet its climate targets.

The Greens also wish to improve active travel and public transport.

The party is keen to deliver a publicly-owned Highland bus service, providing an efficient, integrated service similar

to that of Lothian Buses in Edinburgh.

There is a promise to deliver 20mph speed limits in residential areas, as well as ensuring children who live within two miles of schools are able to walk or cycle to school safely.

The Greens also pledge to seek improvements to the rail network to provide more coverage, and for the expansion of electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, as well as encouraging the formation of EV car clubs for rural communities.

Active travel is supported as a way of reducing emissions and alleviating mental health issues.

Tourism is a huge contributor to the Highland economy, with the Green party keen to market “slow tourism”.

However, candidates say communities in tourism areas must remain as living communities and not just be destinations. They add that accommodation for tourism should not be at the expense of communities.

The need for school buildings to become more efficient is a high priority, as is the adequate funding of additional support needs (ASN) staff.

Despite already having one councillor elected, the Greens have expressed concern at the ward being uncontested.

Anne Thomas, Black Isle candidate and Highland Greens communications co-ordinator said: “The fact that not enough people stood in Caol and Mallaig to trigger an election is a symptom of our democratic system’s fragility.”

She believes the role of a councillor is “incredibly undervalued” and under-supported.

A total of 142 candidates have put their names forward for election on May 5, with 71 seats up for grabs across 20 multimember wards.

Scottish Greens candidates in Inverness.