Scottish Greens aim for all MSP regions for 2016

THE Scottish Greens could return MSPs in each of Holyrood’s eight parliamentary regions, a leading member of the party has said.

Scottish Greens' Maggie Chapman. Picture: Greg Macvean

Maggie Chapman made the comments as she announced she was stepping down as a councillor in Edinburgh to concentrate on becoming an MSP in next May’s Scottish elections.

Ms Chapman, who is rector of Aberdeen University, has already been chosen as the party’s lead candidate in the North-east area.

She said: “While I am taking nothing for granted and will work hard for every single vote, I also firmly believe that we can and will win MSPs in every region in Scotland.”

Ms Chapman said it had been a “huge honour and privilege” to represent the Leith Walk ward on Edinburgh City Council for the last eight years.

The Green Party in Edinburgh is in the process of selecting a candidate to stand for the area.

Steve Burgess, convenor of the Green group on the council, said: “We will campaign hard to ensure a new Green councillor is elected at the by-election, on a promise that only the Greens can offer a progressive and constructive opposition to the current Labour-SNP administration at the City Chambers.

“We’ll battle for communities to have a greater say in what goes on in their area, we’ll campaign for local services against funding cuts; and we’ll fight to make sure promises made to Leith, on new jobs and transport, are promises delivered.

“People in Leith Walk have shown consistent and rising support for the Greens over the last 10 years and I’m sure they will want to ensure that they still have a Green councillor as one of the four councillors representing them.”

It is expected the council by-election will take place on September 10 this year, the same day as voters will choose a successor to Deirdre Brock, the SNP member for Leith Walk.

This could be the first time there has been a by-election for two places in the same multi-member ward held together.