Politics turning from grey to green

By Scottish Green Party Lothians MSP Robin Harper

The election to the Scottish Parliament was the biggest election campaign ever run by the Scottish Green Party.

We were greatly encouraged by the fact that for the first time in a UK election there would be a fair voting system. Small parties would have a chance of election through the second vote.

I knew we were in with a good chance, because in 1989 about 15% of people in the UK had voted Green in the elections for the European Parliament.

Green-minded people were out there but we had to let them know that a Green vote would really count this time.

We certainly felt that the government voter education programme did not properly explain the potential of the second vote to elect small parties through the new proportional system.

Little publicity

It was also impossible to get the TV companies to give us a platform alongside the four main parties on their debate programmes, or the press to give us anything more than token coverage.

There seemed to be a reluctance to grasp the potential that the new voting system promised.

However, we did get good media coverage of our manifesto launch, and for the first time the Royal Mail delivered a leaflet to every household in Scotland on our behalf.

We also qualified for party election broadcasts on radio and television because we were fielding 41 candidates in eight lists across Scotland.

The last few weeks of the campaign were hectic. Party volunteers organised a huge "2nd vote Green" postering campaign, especially in the Lothians.

David Bellamy

Joanna Blythman, Britain's leading investigative food journalist, and environmentalist David Bellamy both gave us their backing.

David travelled to Edinburgh specially to endorse our Clean Beaches policy. I was out on Princes Street speaking to shoppers almost every day.

As election day grew nearer the tension was unbearable. Although a System Three poll had said that 13% of voters were "quite likely to consider voting Green", we would not be sure until the votes had actually been counted.

Election night itself produced high drama when at 6am the Lothians count was suspended until the next day.

Finally at 4.10pm on Friday, it was announced the Scottish Green party had gained a list seat in the Lothians. As top of the list I had been elected as the UK's first ever Green parliamentarian.

Scottish Green Party members were overjoyed with the news that a Green had been elected to a seat in the Holyrood parliament - a Green member in a national parliament for the first time in the UK!

We also confirmed ourselves as the fifth party in Scotland, as we polled more votes than any other small party.

'Wonderful day'

Friday, 7 May, was a wonderful day for the Green movement and for all of the tens of thousands of people who have put their faith in a better future for Scotland's children.

People who care about Scotland's environment will now have a vigorous campaigning voice right in the heart of Holyrood.

As Britain's first Green parliamentarian I am committed to making the Scottish Parliament think Green and act Green at every turn.

The polluters, the wasters and the destroyers in our society should take heed now!

This really is a historic breakthrough, not only for Scotland but for Britain as a whole.

No longer can the "grey" parties and the media ignore the urgency of the Green message.

We've already started our campaign for the European elections on June 10 now that it has been shown that Green votes really do count.