A fourth candidate has thrown his hat into the run for election to the UK Parliament in May’s General Election.
Moray Greens have confirmed that they have selected their Convenor, James MacKessack-Leitch, to contest the seat.
James, 28, lives on the family farm at Alves and is a graduate of both Glasgow and Aberdeen Universities. He has worked in the public and private sectors in a number of roles and is currently a Director of a local community trust.
He has been involved in a number of local campaigns, most recently fighting against Moray Council’s plans to create a western approach road in Elgin.
He said: “I am delighted to have been selected by the Moray Greens to be their candidate for the forthcoming General Election,” stated James MacKessack-Leitch.
“There’s never been a better opportunity to have a Green candidate on the ballot, with the ongoing ‘Green Surge’ in membership continuing – more and more people are doing the research and switching on to our progressive and forward thinking politics.”
Mr MacKessack-Leitch believes the economy will be a central theme in the election, and insists that the Greens are the only party that wishes to see a “fundamental shift” in the way it works.
“We want to move away from the growth obsessed model that clearly doesn’t work, and place greater value on the local businesses, social enterprises, and High Streets that are the cornerstone of our communities,” he said.
He added: “As more powers are rightly devolved from Westminster we want to see a revival of local government, and we’ll work hard to prevent Holyrood becoming a centralising blockage to greater devolution. We want our Councils to have the power to govern and to be locally accountable to the public.”
Independent MSP and Scottish Green Party member John Finnie added, “This election provides an opportunity to vote for the Green Party, the only party which places social and environmental justice, and a sustainable future, at the heart of decision-making.
“The Green Party’s enormous rise in membership, the ‘Green Surge’, reflects repeated polls which show the policies the public value are ‘Green’ policies.
“I am delighted that James has been selected for the Greens in Moray. He is an outstanding community activist who has already ably demonstrated that he will always put Moray residents and their communities ahead of corporate or other outside interests.”
Already declared as contesting the election in Moray is the Angus Robertson for the SNP, Moray Labour candidate Sean Morton and Scottish Conservative Douglas Ross.