Gillian Mackay to run for Scottish Green co-leader

Gillian Mackay is running to the next co-leader of the Scottish Green Party.

The Central Scotland MSP said it was “important that we have women with big voices and ideas” on the frontline of politics while it is “dominated by the egos of men”.

The Greens elect two leaders every two years, at least one of whom must be female.

All the other parties currently represented at Holyrood are led by men.

Patrick Harvie, who has been at the helm of the party since 2008, announced last month his intention to step back.

Lorna Slater is seeking re-election as co-leader, as position she had held since 2019.

Making her announcement, Mackay said: “I believe that I’m the person that can not only take the party further and deliver great election results, but deliver fantastic things for Scotland and our communities.”

Elected in 2021, Mackay is the party’s first Green MSP in Central Scotland and health spokesperson.

She also represents it on the parliamentary bureau, and as such worked closely with the SNP on setting the parliament’s agenda while the Bute House Agreement was in place.

Mackay is behind the implementation of protest-free buffer zones around abortion clinics, having obtained cross-party support for her Abortion Services Safe Access Zones (Scotland) Bill.

She has since called for the zone around Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital after protestors gathered at the edge of it for a vigil.

The leadership election will take place over the summer.

MSP Ross Greer is understood to be considering a run.