Green voters should challenge candidates on issues, says Harvie

Scottish Greens co-convenor Patrick Harvie launches the manifesto with the party's Edinburgh North and Leith candidate Lorna Slater. Picture: John Devlin/TSPL

Launching the Scottish Greens election manifesto in Glasgow this morning, Harvie said he was sorry to those who will not have the chance to cast their ballot for the party on June 8.

Just three of Scotland’s 59 constituencies - Edinburgh North and Leith, Falkirk, and Glasgow North - will feature Green candidates.

Harvie, who is bidding to become the first Scottish Green to be returned to Westminster by winning Glasgow North, said there was a need for parties who oppose Conservative policies to work together.

He confirmed he would stand down as an MSP if he was elected as an MP.

“I apologise to the many Green voters around the country who don’t have the chance to vote Green and I know that many of them having been coming to help in constituencies we are contesting, like Edinburgh North and Leith,” he said.

“I know that many of them are also challenging the candidates in their own constituencies - whether its challenging Labour candidates on Trident, SNP candidates on fossil fuel subsidies, that challenge is important still needs to be made.

“It’s a really important way to engage with politics if they don’t have a Green candidate to vote for this time.

He added: “For some Green voters, the issue of climate change will be front and centre for them. For other, it might be ecnomic policy and the harm that’s being inflicted on the most vulnerable. For others, it will be Scotland’s ability to choose its own future.

“Put all of those issues to your candidates and judge them as individuals.”

The Scottish Greens manifesto includes pledges to protect Scotland’s place within the EU, the right of Scots to decide the country’s future at a second referendum, and a promise to protect workers’ rights from a hard Brexit.

Opposition parties have accused the Greens of being “cheerleaders for independence” by only standing three candidates.

Scottish Labour environment spokeswoman Claudia Beamish said: “Patrick Harvie should have waited a day and launched his manifesto with Nicola Sturgeon, because the Scottish Greens are now just cheerleaders for the SNP.

“The manifesto of the Scottish Greens talks about the devastating impact of cuts to local services, yet Patrick Harvie did a grubby deal with the Nationalists to cut £170million from schools and other vital local services in the last Scottish budget.

“The Scottish Greens have given up any pretence of being concerned with the environment or austerity – for them it is Scottish nationalism first and everything else a distance second.”