Greens unveil student as by-election candidate in Rutherglen and Hamilton West

Green activist Cameron Eadie has said he is standing for election to Westminster to challenge the “climate criminals” in the Conservative and Labour parties.

The 20-year-old student has been unveiled as the Scottish Green Party candidate in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election, which is taking place after voters backed a recall petition against former MP Margaret Ferrier.

The former SNP MP is being ousted from the House of Commons after breaching Covid rules, with the race to replace her viewed by many as a straight fight between the SNP and Labour.

However Mr Eadie said he was running “because Green voices have never been so vital”.

He stated: “Every single vote for the Scottish Greens will be a vote against the Westminster status quo, a vote for change, and a vote for people and for planet. It’s as simple as that.

“It’s my generation and the next being left to deal with the carnage caused by successive Tory and Labour governments and their failures on climate.”

He accused the Conservatives of “climate vandalism” after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak backed new oil and gas licences for the North Sea, while the UK Government last year approved plans for a new coal mine in Cumbria.

Mr Eadie went on to criticise Labour, saying Sir Keir Starmer’s party was “refusing to cancel those new oil and gas licences and rolling back on efforts to protect people from dangerous air pollution”.

“That’s not climate leadership, that’s guilty pleas by climate criminals.

“While they support burning more oil and gas, the Scottish Greens are delivering the change needed by both people and planet, like free bus travel for young people, investing record amounts in nature restoration and removing peak-time rail fares from this coming October.”

Scottish Green co-leader Lorna Slater joined Mr Eadie has he launched his campaign, saying: “By standing he will make sure green voices, and concerns for our climate and environment, will be heard in this election with a positive vision of a fairer, greener and thriving Scotland for all.”

Gillian Mackay, Green MSP for Central Scotland, said: “I’m so very proud of Cameron for standing, and for all the young people in our green movement who refuse to accept that this is how things have to be. 

“We need change. We need to protect our planet for all of us, which is why Scottish Greens in government in Scotland are standing in this Westminster election.”