Green recruits are a sure sign we are on the right path - Lorna Slater
This has been a remarkable week for the growing green movement in Scotland, with two experienced councillors choosing to join the Scottish Greens, including a new colleague, Ross Mckenzie, right here in Edinburgh.
Ross is a former Labour councillor who has sat as an independent since his former party chose to do a deal with the Tories in our city chambers.
Ross’s decision, and that of our new Moray councillor John Scott who left the SNP in opposition to its U-turns on equality, reflect a wider shift that is taking place across the country.
More and more people want politics that is honest, ambitious and focused on the long term, with commitments that improve lives today while protecting our future.
The arrival of these councillors strengthens our movement at a local level and shows that the Greens are providing the leadership and hope that communities long for. Edinburgh has been at the heart of many of our recent achievements.
Free bus travel for under 22s, secured by the Scottish Greens, has transformed the daily lives of young people. It has opened routes to education, apprenticeships, work and training and has offered new freedom at a time when many families face difficult choices about household budgets.
The scale of uptake has demonstrated how powerful a well-designed public service can be. It has cut the cost of living, reduced traffic and supported a shift toward cleaner transport.
We are determined to build on this success. That is why we are pushing for free bus travel to be extended to everyone under 30 as part of the next Scottish budget.
People in their 20s often face some of the toughest financial pressures. They are starting careers, moving home, paying rising rents and trying to build secure futures during an uncertain economic period.
Extending free travel would ease those pressures while encouraging long term public transport use, which benefits the environment, the economy and our wellbeing.
Edinburgh shows what is possible when public transport is treated as a public good. Council- owned Lothian Buses delivers one of the best services in the UK. It proves that publicly controlled transport can be reliable, affordable and focused on the needs of passengers rather than profit. We want to see that model expanded across Scotland so that more communities can benefit.
In the next session of Parliament, our plans will centre on cleaner air, fairer travel costs and a bolder transition to a low carbon Scotland.
With new councillors like Ross joining our movement, including here in the capital, we are more rooted in local communities than ever. Together we can continue to deliver real, change and build a greener and fairer Scotland.