30 April 2010
The Green Party candidate in Norwich South, Adrian Ramsay, is aiming to become one of the first Green MPs at Westminster in the election next week.
But in fact the Greens already have two MPs – in the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood.
One of them is Patrick Harvie MSP, who has been a Green MSP for Glasgow since 2003. Patrick says that although the Greens may be few in number, they regularly hold the balance of power at Holyrood and have notched up some remarkable achievements, including the first Green Act in Britain – Patrick’s own legislation to tackle hate crime.
The Scottish Green MPs have also delivered:
- a Climate Change Bill with stronger targets than those set for the UK
- a £27.4m Climate Change Fund for innovative communities in Scotland
- a £30m Scottish Investment Fund for socially beneficial enterprises
- legislation to protect the coastline against the risk of oil spills in the Firth of Forth
- a strong campaign to get a buildings insulation programme in place across Scotland
- helped secure the abolition of student tuition fees in Scotland
Patrick Harvie believes that even a small number of Green MPs at Westminster could begin working towards similar progressive measures. That’s why he’s visiting Norwich South to support Adrian Ramsay’s campaign, and Brighton Pavilion where Green Party Leader Caroline Lucas is standing: two target seats where Greens have a real chance of being elected.
Adrian Ramsay said:
“Elected Greens are making a real difference in the Scottish Parliament, the London Assembly, the European Parliament and the many European countries where there are Green MPs. We’ve seen in Scotland what two Green MPs can do when they hold the balance of power and work constructively with others. The same situation can occur in Westminster after Thursday’s General Election – if we lead the way with a Green MP in Norwich South, which is one of the two strongest constituencies in the country for the Green Party.”
Patrick Harvie and Adrian Ramsay will be leading teams of local Green councillors and supporters canvassing together between 10:30 and 12:30 in the St Leonard’s Road area of Thorpe Hamlet on Saturday May 1st, ready to meet the media.
