A HUGE congratulations to Seonad Hoy who was elected as the second Scottish Green councillor for the Hillhead ward at Thursday’s by-election.

This is the first ever by-election win for the Scottish Green Party. There are now 11 Scottish Green councillors elected to Glasgow City Council. This is an amazing election result thanks to the voters.

It is the culmination of many years of campaigning and grassroots activism by Scottish Greens.

As the first Scottish Green councillor elected in May 2007, I am incredibly privileged to have the opportunity to work alongside Seonad to support residents, businesses and community organisations across Hillhead.

This result provides a strong mandate for Scottish Green councillors to ensure commitments to address climate change and nature restoration are firmly on Glasgow’s priority list.

We are strong voices for climate action and social justice.

The outcome of the by-election also gives further support to action in response to the housing crisis.

Scottish Green votes at the Hillhead by-election will help to deliver more homes across all tenures but especially for social rent. The message is clear from voters that housing has become increasingly unaffordable.

Making tenements greener and more energy efficient is vital. We need to accelerate the upgrading of our housing through home insulation or retrofit to cut people’s energy bills.

A large-scale green investment programme has to transform our city’s economy from a reliance on fossil fuels to being supported by renewable energy. 

Two women councillors elected for Hillhead will provide powerful voices for feminist town planning.

We will take forward improvements to both street lighting and public toilet provision. We secured funding for Hillhead Library to be upgraded to include an accessible toilet, in line with other city libraries.

Scottish Green councillors will continue to call for public places to be better designed to address women’s safety concerns and open up more opportunities for women to be involved in decision-making. We want to support more women to be able to become elected representatives.

We will also push for community food growing to help people’s physical and mental wellbeing. Gardening, horticulture and grow your own food is used by different groups to increase opportunities to exercise, as well as access fresh fruit and vegetables.  Scottish Green councillors will encourage food growing skills of people in the Hillhead ward experiencing mental health problems and physical impairments, people with long term conditions, learning difficulties or in recovery and rehabilitation.

This will involve the development of community gardens, allotment plots and shared gardens within the area’s greenspaces. 

Scottish Green councillors will work collaboratively with other political parties to deliver the changes that voters want to see. Thanks go to the other political parties for a positive by-election campaign.

We can engage constructively across the City Chambers, working to improve public services for all the people of Glasgow. 

This election result is the culmination of a great deal of hard work.

It is only possible thanks to the enormous passion and determination of local activists in the Glasgow Green Party.