Ross Greer to stand for Scottish Greens leadership

Scottish Greens MSP Ross Greer is expected to announce his candidacy for the co-leadership the party.

It is understood that the West Scotland MSP will launch his campaign on Thursday.

He will call for the expansion of free bus travel and other policies to reduce the cost of living and cut carbon emissions, as well as additional taxes on the wealthy.

It comes after Patrick Harvie, Holyrood’s longest-serving party chief, said in April that he would not seek re-election. Lorna Slater, co-leader since 2019, said she would run again.

Green leaders serve two-year terms and under party rules, one of the co-chiefs has to be a woman.

Gillian MacKay, who was behind the legislation to create buffer zones to limit protests around abortion clinics, has also declared herself a candidate.

The contest is expected to be decided by the end of August before Holyrood returns from its summer break.

Greer became Holyrood’s youngest-ever MSP when he was elected aged 21 in 2016.

He joined the party aged 15 and served as a member of the Scottish Youth Parliament.

Greer, from Dunbartonshire, cut short a degree in politics and psychology at the University of Strathclyde to take up a job with Yes Scotland ahead of the 2014 independence referendum.

He is currently his party’s education and finance spokesperson, having previously held culture, skills and Europe briefs.