Scottish Green Party
Encyclopedia
The Scottish Green Party is a green party in Scotland
. It has two MSPs in the devolved Scottish Parliament
, Alison Johnstone
, representing Lothian
, and Patrick Harvie
, for Glasgow
.
and Ireland
: the Green Party of England and Wales
, the Green Party in Northern Ireland
and the Green Party of Ireland
. It is a full member of the European Green Party
.
The party currently has eight councillors: three in Edinburgh and five in Glasgow, all elected in 2007
. There are also two members of the party sitting as Democratic Independent councillors in Aberdeenshire
, both of whom defected from the Scottish Liberal Democrats
in 2009.
At the 2005 Westminster election
, the party contested 19 seats and gained 25,760 votes. Its top result was 7.7% of the vote in Glasgow North
, a major breakthrough in the West of Scotland. In the European Parliament
election of 2004, it missed out on a seat with 6.8% of the vote. However, the party lost five of their seven seats in the 2007 Scottish Parliament election.
According to accounts filed with the Electoral Commission for the year ending December 31, 2009, the party had an income of about £90,230 that year, an expenditure of £61,165 and a membership of 1,072.
Green Party
until 1990, when the Scottish Green Party became a separate entity. The separation was entirely amicable, as part of the green commitment to decentralisation
: the Scottish Green Party supports a referendum on Scottish independence
.
The Scottish Green Party benefits from the fact that the British government created a Scottish Parliament
, which is elected using the additional member system of proportional representation
. In the first election to this Parliament, in 1999, the Scottish Green Party got one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) elected by proportional representation, Robin Harper
, the UK's first Green Parliamentarian. On 1 May 2003 the Scottish Greens added six new MSPs to their previous total.
In the 2007 elections, the Party lost five seats in Holyrood
. However in the council elections, taking place under the new Single Transferable Vote
voting system, they gained three Councillors on the City of Edinburgh Council and five Councillors on Glasgow City Council.
On 11 May 2007, the Greens signed an agreement with the Scottish National Party
, which meant that the Greens voted for Alex Salmond as First Minister and supported his initial Ministerial appointments. In return, the Nationalists backed a climate change
bill as an early measure and promised to legislate against ship-to-ship oil transfers in the Firth of Forth. The SNP also agreed to nominate Patrick Harvie
, one of the Green MSPs, to convene one of the Holyrood committees: Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change.
On 28 January 2009, the two Green MSPs were instrumental in the defeat of the Government's budget, though a slightly amended version was passed easily the following week.
On 31 May 2009, Cllr Martin Ford, formerly a Liberal Democrat
, joined the Scottish Green Party in protest to the plans by Donald Trump
to develop on an important environmental site at Menie. On 13 October 2009, he was joined by fellow former Liberal Democrat Cllr Debra Storr. Both Councillors continue to serve on Aberdeenshire Council as members of the Democratic Independent group.
, 2007 Holyrood election, and 2009 European election
manifestos.
According to the same website, the party is committed to forming a sustainable society
, and is guided by four interconnected principles:
The party claims that, taken together, these principles give the party a holistic view that is in common with all Green parties around the world.
as Scotland's first Green regional councillor to the then Highland Regional Council. Cllr Winter broke away from the Greens in 1991 and continued his four-year term as an Independent Green Highlander.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It has two MSPs in the devolved Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
, Alison Johnstone
Alison Johnstone
Alison Johnstone is a Scottish Green Party MSP for the Lothian region. She also serves as a councillor for the Meadows/Morningside ward for the City of Edinburgh Council....
, representing Lothian
Lothian (Scottish Parliament electoral region)
Lothian is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament. Nine of the parliament's 73first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament...
, and Patrick Harvie
Patrick Harvie
Patrick Harvie is the co-convenor of the Scottish Green Party and Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Glasgow region...
, for Glasgow
Glasgow (Scottish Parliament electoral region)
Glasgow is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament , which were created in 1999. Nine of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament...
.
Organisation
The Scottish Green Party is fully independent, but works closely with the other green parties of the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
: the Green Party of England and Wales
Green Party of England and Wales
The Green Party of England and Wales is a political party in England and Wales which follows the traditions of Green politics and maintains a strong commitment to social progressivism. It is the largest Green party in the United Kingdom, containing within it various regional divisions including...
, the Green Party in Northern Ireland
Green Party in Northern Ireland
The Green Party in Northern Ireland is the Northern Ireland subdivision of the Irish Green Party, based on the principles of Green politics. It works in co-operation with Green parties across Europe, and was formerly a party in its own right...
and the Green Party of Ireland
Green Party (Ireland)
The Green Party is a green political party in Ireland. It was founded as the Ecology Party of Ireland in 1981 by Dublin teacher Christopher Fettes. The party became the Green Alliance in 1983 and in 1987 was renamed to its current title in English...
. It is a full member of the European Green Party
European Green Party
The European Green Party is the Green political party at European level. As such it is a federation of green parties in Europe.-History:...
.
The party currently has eight councillors: three in Edinburgh and five in Glasgow, all elected in 2007
Scottish local elections, 2007
The Scottish local elections, 2007 were held on 3 May 2007, the same day as Scottish Parliament elections and local elections in parts of England...
. There are also two members of the party sitting as Democratic Independent councillors in Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...
, both of whom defected from the Scottish Liberal Democrats
Scottish Liberal Democrats
The Scottish Liberal Democrats are one of the three state parties within the federal Liberal Democrats; the others being the Welsh Liberal Democrats and the Liberal Democrats in England...
in 2009.
At the 2005 Westminster election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
, the party contested 19 seats and gained 25,760 votes. Its top result was 7.7% of the vote in Glasgow North
Glasgow North (UK Parliament constituency)
Glasgow North is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system....
, a major breakthrough in the West of Scotland. In the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
election of 2004, it missed out on a seat with 6.8% of the vote. However, the party lost five of their seven seats in the 2007 Scottish Parliament election.
According to accounts filed with the Electoral Commission for the year ending December 31, 2009, the party had an income of about £90,230 that year, an expenditure of £61,165 and a membership of 1,072.
History
The Scottish Green Party was a constituent part of the former UKUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Green Party
Green Party (UK)
The Green Party was a Green political party in the United Kingdom. It has been succeeded by three political parties:* the Green Party of England and Wales* the Green Party in Northern Ireland* the Scottish Green Party- PEOPLE, 1973–1975 :...
until 1990, when the Scottish Green Party became a separate entity. The separation was entirely amicable, as part of the green commitment to decentralisation
Décentralisation
Décentralisation is a french word for both a policy concept in French politics from 1968-1990, and a term employed to describe the results of observations of the evolution of spatial economic and institutional organization of France....
: the Scottish Green Party supports a referendum on Scottish independence
Scottish independence
Scottish independence is a political ambition of political parties, advocacy groups and individuals for Scotland to secede from the United Kingdom and become an independent sovereign state, separate from England, Wales and Northern Ireland....
.
The Scottish Green Party benefits from the fact that the British government created a Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
, which is elected using the additional member system of proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
. In the first election to this Parliament, in 1999, the Scottish Green Party got one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) elected by proportional representation, Robin Harper
Robin Harper
Robin Harper FRSSA is a Scottish politician, and was a Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Lothians region. He was co-convener of the Scottish Green Party...
, the UK's first Green Parliamentarian. On 1 May 2003 the Scottish Greens added six new MSPs to their previous total.
In the 2007 elections, the Party lost five seats in Holyrood
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
. However in the council elections, taking place under the new Single Transferable Vote
Single transferable vote
The single transferable vote is a voting system designed to achieve proportional representation through preferential voting. Under STV, an elector's vote is initially allocated to his or her most preferred candidate, and then, after candidates have been either elected or eliminated, any surplus or...
voting system, they gained three Councillors on the City of Edinburgh Council and five Councillors on Glasgow City Council.
On 11 May 2007, the Greens signed an agreement with the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
, which meant that the Greens voted for Alex Salmond as First Minister and supported his initial Ministerial appointments. In return, the Nationalists backed a climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
bill as an early measure and promised to legislate against ship-to-ship oil transfers in the Firth of Forth. The SNP also agreed to nominate Patrick Harvie
Patrick Harvie
Patrick Harvie is the co-convenor of the Scottish Green Party and Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Glasgow region...
, one of the Green MSPs, to convene one of the Holyrood committees: Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change.
On 28 January 2009, the two Green MSPs were instrumental in the defeat of the Government's budget, though a slightly amended version was passed easily the following week.
On 31 May 2009, Cllr Martin Ford, formerly a Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
, joined the Scottish Green Party in protest to the plans by Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump, Sr. is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have...
to develop on an important environmental site at Menie. On 13 October 2009, he was joined by fellow former Liberal Democrat Cllr Debra Storr. Both Councillors continue to serve on Aberdeenshire Council as members of the Democratic Independent group.
Policy
According to the party's website, current policy is guided by the party's 2005 Westminster electionUnited Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
, 2007 Holyrood election, and 2009 European election
European Parliament election, 2009
Elections to the European Parliament were held in the 27 member states of the European Union between 4 and 7 June 2009. A total of 736 Members of the European Parliament were elected to represent some 500 million Europeans, making these the biggest trans-national elections in history...
manifestos.
According to the same website, the party is committed to forming a sustainable society
Sustainable development in Scotland
Scotland development in Scotland has a number of distinct strands. The idea of sustainable development was used by the Brundtland Commission which defined it as development that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." At...
, and is guided by four interconnected principles:
- EcologyEcologyEcology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
: Our environmentEnvironment of ScotlandThe environment of Scotland is the natural environment of the Scottish nation which occupies the northern part of the United Kingdom. Scotland's landscape is diverse; ranging from rugged mountain terrain to fertile arable flat land with many rivers and lochs....
is the basis upon which every society is formed. Whenever we damage our environment, we damage ourselves. Respect for our environment is therefore essential. - EqualityEgalitarianismEgalitarianism is a trend of thought that favors equality of some sort among moral agents, whether persons or animals. Emphasis is placed upon the fact that equality contains the idea of equity of quality...
: A society that is not socially and economically just cannot be sustainable. Only when released from immediate povertyPovertyPoverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
can individuals be expected to take responsibility for wider issues. Our society must be founded on cooperation and respect. We campaign hard against discriminationDiscriminationDiscrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
on grounds of genderGenderGender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
, race, sexualitySexual orientationSexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
, disabilityDisabilityA disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
, ageAgeAge may refer to:* Age , an aspect of mathematical model theory* Age , an international peer-reviewed journal operated by Springer.* The Age, a daily newspaper published in Melbourne, Australia* Agé, a god* Åge, a given name...
or religionReligionReligion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
. - Radical DemocracyRadical democracyRadical democracy as an ideology was articulated by Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe in their book Hegemony and Socialist Strategy: Towards a Radical Democratic Politics, written in 1985. They argue that social movements which attempt to create social and political change need a strategy which...
: Politics is too often conducted in a polarised, confrontational atmosphere and in a situation remote from those that it affects. We must develop decentralised, participative systems that encourage individuals to control the decisions that affect their own lives. - PeacePeacePeace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
and NonviolenceNonviolenceNonviolence has two meanings. It can refer, first, to a general philosophy of abstention from violence because of moral or religious principle It can refer to the behaviour of people using nonviolent action Nonviolence has two (closely related) meanings. (1) It can refer, first, to a general...
: Violence at all levels of human interaction must be rejected and succeeded by relations characterised by flexibility, respect and fairness.
The party claims that, taken together, these principles give the party a holistic view that is in common with all Green parties around the world.
MSPs
All of the Scottish Green Party's Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) have been elected under the list or "top-up" system of representation in the Parliament.Current MSPs
- Alison JohnstoneAlison JohnstoneAlison Johnstone is a Scottish Green Party MSP for the Lothian region. She also serves as a councillor for the Meadows/Morningside ward for the City of Edinburgh Council....
is MSP for LothianLothian (Scottish Parliament electoral region)Lothian is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament. Nine of the parliament's 73first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament... - Patrick HarviePatrick HarviePatrick Harvie is the co-convenor of the Scottish Green Party and Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Glasgow region...
is MSP for GlasgowGlasgow (Scottish Parliament electoral region)Glasgow is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament , which were created in 1999. Nine of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament...
and was elected male Co-Convenor of the Party in November 2008.
Previous MSPs
- Shiona BairdShiona BairdShiona Baird, born September 14, 1946, in Hereford, England is a Green politician and former Member of the Scottish Parliament and co-convener of the Scottish Green Party, of which she is currently vice-convenor....
for North East Scotland. - Chris BallanceChris BallanceChris Ballance is a playwright and Scottish Green Party politician, a former Member of the Scottish Parliament for the South of Scotland region.-Biography:...
for the South of Scotland. - Mark BallardMark BallardMark Ballard is a former Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Lothians region between 2003 and 2007, representing the Scottish Green Party and was Lord Rector of the University of Edinburgh between 2006 and 2009...
for the Lothians. - Robin HarperRobin HarperRobin Harper FRSSA is a Scottish politician, and was a Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Lothians region. He was co-convener of the Scottish Green Party...
for the Lothians. - Mark RuskellMark RuskellMark Ruskell is a former Green Member of the Scottish Parliament. Elected to represent Mid Scotland and Fife in 2003, he sat on the Scottish Parliament Environment and Rural Development Committee and served as its Deputy Convenor. He lost his seat in the 2007 elections...
for Mid Scotland and Fife. - Eleanor ScottEleanor ScottDr Eleanor Scott is a Scottish politician. She is a former Scottish Green Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Highlands and Islands.-Background and career:...
for the Highlands and Islands. Elected Co-Convenor of the Party in November 2008.
City of Edinburgh Council
- Steve Burgess (Southside/Newington ward)
- Maggie Chapman (Leith Walk ward)
- Alison Johnstone (Meadows/Morningside ward)
Glasgow City Council
- Danny Alderslowe (Southside Central ward)
- Nina Baker (Anderston/City ward)
- Stuart Clay (Partick West ward)
- Martha Wardrop (Hillhead ward)
- Kieran Wild (Canal ward)
Previous councillors
Prior to the 2007 elections, the Party had only ever elected one councillor at local level: in May 1990, Roger (aka Rory) Winter, representing the Highland Green Party (Uainich na Gàidhealtachd), was elected in NairnNairn
Nairn is a town and former burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It is an ancient fishing port and market town around east of Inverness...
as Scotland's first Green regional councillor to the then Highland Regional Council. Cllr Winter broke away from the Greens in 1991 and continued his four-year term as an Independent Green Highlander.
Electoral performance
| Election Percentage of Scottish vote | Seats won | Additional Information | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 Scottish Parliament Election | 3.6% | 1 seat | Robin Harper Robin Harper Robin Harper FRSSA is a Scottish politician, and was a Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Lothians region. He was co-convener of the Scottish Green Party... became the first Green parliamentarian in Britain. |
| 1999 European Parliament Election European Parliament election, 1999 (UK) The European Parliament Election, 1999 was the UK part of the European Parliament election 1999. It was held on 10 June. It was the first European election to be held in the United Kingdom using a system of proportional representation. The European Parliamentary Elections Act 1999 introduced the... |
5.8% | 0 seats | |
| 2001 General Election United Kingdom general election, 2001 The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats... |
0.2% | 0 seats | |
| 2003 Scottish Parliament Election | 6.9% | 7 seats | |
| 2004 European Parliament Election European Parliament election, 2004 (UK) The European Parliament election, 2004 was the UK part of the European Parliament election, 2004. It was held on 10 June. It was the first European election to be held in the United Kingdom using postal-only voting in four areas. It coincided with local and London elections.The Conservative Party... |
6.8% | 0 seats | |
| 2005 General Election United Kingdom general election, 2005 The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160.... |
1.1% | 0 seats | |
| 2007 Scottish Parliament Election | 4.0% | 2 seats | |
| 2009 European Parliament Election European Parliament election, 2009 (United Kingdom) The European Parliament election was the United Kingdom's component of the 2009 European Parliament election, the voting for which was held on Thursday 4 June 2009, coinciding with the 2009 local elections in England. Most of the results of the election were announced on Sunday 7 June, after... |
7.3% | 0 seats | The highest ever vote share the party has achieved. |
| 2010 General Election | 0.7% | 0 seats | |
| 2011 Scottish Parliament Election | 4.4% | 2 seats |
See also
- Green politicsGreen politicsGreen politics is a political ideology that aims for the creation of an ecologically sustainable society rooted in environmentalism, social liberalism, and grassroots democracy...
- List of environmental organizations