Ross Greer in the Scottish Parliament with his fist raised

West of Scotland MSP Ross Greer has launched a bid for the co-leadership of the Scottish Greens. He’s the third candidate to throw his hat into the ring in this summer’s election.

Announcing his bid, Greer said: “People across Scotland are struggling and other parties refuse to accept why. That’s because greedy landlords, tax avoiders and the super-rich are hoarding more wealth than they could spend in a thousand lifetimes, and extracting more from the public all the time. The system has been rigged to work only for the extremely wealthy.

“That’s why I am standing to become leader of the Scottish Greens. I believe that we can bring hope back to Scottish politics and take on the politics of greed and despair.”

Greer continued by arguing the Greens have had major successes in Holyrood in recent years.

He said: “Over the past few years the Scottish Greens have delivered policies that cut the living costs and tackle the climate crisis, like free bus travel for young people. I now want us to go much further. We are at our best when we’re making a difference to people’s daily lives and protecting the planet.

“With half the country now entitled to free bus travel we should go into next May’s election pledging to expand that to everyone who lives here. Taking the bus is becoming unaffordable across far too much of Scotland. This forces many back into their cars, drives emissions up, and further isolates those who don’t have access to a car at all. Universal free bus travel, like they have in Luxembourg and Malta, is the solution.”

He went on to talk not just about the Greens’ record, but also his own, saying: “I’m proud of my track record, taking on the extremely wealthy and delivering for ordinary people. I’ve increased taxes on landlords and higher earners, raising billions of pounds to protect public services like the NHS from further budget cuts. I’ve delivered relief to struggling families by cancelling school meal debts. And I’ve fought back against corporate greed to protect Loch Lomond from Flamingo Land’s destructive mega-resort proposals.”

“As Scottish Greens co-leader, I would take us into the next election demanding an end to the outrageous tax breaks currently enjoyed by aristocrats, big businesses and the royal family. If the super-rich pay their fair share, we can deliver more free bus travel, more free school meals and more of the support people really need in their lives.

“We can end child poverty and tackle the climate crisis, but only if we fix a system rigged by the super-rich. That’s why I am asking Scottish Greens members to elect me as co-leader.”

Greer is the third candidate to announce he’s in the running. His fellow MSPs Lorna Slater and Gillian Mackay are also standing.