Why I’m standing for a fairer, greener way of life for all - Lorna Slater
Over the last five years, the Scottish Greens have shown that when we are in Parliament, we deliver real change. By working constructively, we have helped secure policies that make life fairer and greener across Scotland.
Free bus travel for young people has opened up education, work and social opportunities for under 22s, cutting household costs while reducing emissions. Expanded free school meals are tackling child poverty head on, ensuring children can learn without hunger holding them back.
We have pushed investment into warmer homes, helping households lower their energy bills while cutting climate pollution. These are changes people in Edinburgh feel in their daily lives.
Edinburgh Central is a constituency that understands the urgency of climate action and the importance of social justice. Scotland’s Capital that welcomes the world with open arms, looking after our own, whilst standing up for those in need - both on our shores and abroad.
From renters facing rising costs, to families juggling childcare, to young people worried about their future, I hear the same message on the door steps again and again. People want a government that acts, not one that delays or waters down its commitments.
In the next parliamentary term, I want to build on what we have already achieved. That means going further on the cost of living, expanding free school meals to reach more children, making childcare genuinely free from the age of three and ensuring public transport is affordable and accessible for everyone.
It means accelerating the transition to clean energy in a way that creates good, secure jobs here in Scotland. It also means protecting nature, from our urban green spaces to our rural landscapes, because a healthy environment underpins our health and wellbeing.
It must mean putting Scotland centre stage in standing up for Palestine, Ukraine and the difference between what is right and what is wrong.
Crucially, it means representing Edinburgh Central as a place of diversity, creativity and compassion. Our city thrives when people feel secure in their homes, confident in their futures and connected to their communities. That is why I am standing to be the MSP for Edinburgh Central.
The Holyrood elections will be a choice about the kind of Scotland we want to be. The Scottish Greens have proven that we can turn values into action.
I am standing because I believe Edinburgh Central deserves a strong Green voice at the heart of our Parliament, one that will keep pushing for a fairer, greener Scotland for the next generation and beyond.
Scottish Greens Lothians MSP