A LINGUIST and healthcare tech expert are among the Scottish Greens candidates battling to represent East Lothian and Midlothian communities in the Scottish Parliament.
The party has published its list candidates for the South Scotland region.
Linguist and translater James Puchowski is targeting East Lothian voters as he stands as a list candidate for South Scotland in the upcoming Holyrood election.
James, who lives in Meadowbank, Edinburgh, said that he believed East Lothian voters would be key to getting the Scottish Greens’ lead candidate Laura Moodie elected and he plans to do all he can to convince them.
He said: “I am one of the many younger members of the Scottish Greens who passionately believe in Scotland’s opportunities through a radically different economy and a greener future as an independent country in Europe.
“Scotland is an energy powerhouse and its renewables potential could beat the meagre percentage of the economy that gas and oil currently comprises.
“I’m passionate about radical reforms to Scotland’s economy, focusing on long-term sustainable farming and rural development, which is far more common in continental Europe. “We’re not just campaigning for green politics for the environment’s sake, but because a greener economic model is fairer to the poorest and is better suited to tackling the instability of global trade.”
The Scottish Greens unveiled their candidates for the South Scotland list this week and among them is healthcare technology manager Dominic Ashmole.Dominic is standing in his home constituency of Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale and is third on the South Scotland list.
He said: “Covid-19 has highlighted enormous kindness and resilience in our communities – a fierce love that has seen people support and protect one another.“This may become our greatest strength and comfort as we build a green recovery and face the reality of climate breakdown.
“Everyone keeps hearing about the climate emergency, but we are not seeing governments take concrete and credible action. No wonder people feel confused. They are told it is an emergency, but they see no urgency from governments.
“In reality, the next 10 years are make or break. If we don’t halve annual greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, we’ll overshoot safe limits of warming.”
The Scottish Greens’ South Scotland campaign is led by Laura Moodie, who will also be standing against in the Galloway & West Dumfries constituency.
She is joined by climate change and ecology lecturer Dr Barbra Harvie, who is also standing in the Ettrick, Roxburgh & Berwickshire constituency; retired architect and town planner Charles Strang from St Boswells; Troon-based photographer Ciara Campbell; software engineer Tristan Gray; and NHS practitioner Peter Barlow.
Also joining the team is 22-year-old Kath Malone from Lockerbie, one of the youngest candidates standing in the region.
The full ranked list for the Scottish Greens in the South Scotland region is as follows: 1. Laura Moodie , 2. Barbra Harvie, 3.Dominic Ashmole, 4. Kath Malone, 5. Charles Strang, 6. Ciara Campbell, 7.Peter Barlow, 8. James Puchowksi, 9. Tristan Gray.
The SNP, Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats have all previously announced their list candidates for the South Scotland region.
Other parties also confirmed so far as standing list candidates for the South Scotland region are Reform UK, UKIP, All For Unity and Independence for Scotland Party.
by Marie Sharp Local Democracy Reporter
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is a public service news agency : funded by the BBC, provided by the local news sector, and used by qualifying partners. Local Democracy Reporters cover top-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is a public service news agency. It is funded by the BBC, provided by the local news sector (in Edinburgh that is Reach plc (the publisher behind Edinburgh Live and The Daily Record) and used by many qualifying partners. Local Democracy Reporters cover news about top-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.
