Lorna Slater

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Lorna Slater
MSP
Lorna Slater 2021.jpg
Official portrait, 2021
Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity
Assumed office
31 August 2021
First MinisterNicola Sturgeon
Preceded byOffice established
Co-Leader of the Scottish Greens
Assumed office
1 August 2019
Serving with Patrick Harvie
Preceded byMaggie Chapman as Co-Convenor (November 2013 – August 2019)
Alison Johnstone as Co-Leader within the Scottish Parliament (August 2019 – May 2021)
Scottish Greens Spokesperson for Economic Recovery and Green Industrial Strategy
In office
6 May 2021 – 30 August 2021
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byOffice abolished
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Lothian
(1 of 7 Regional MSPs)
Assumed office
13 May 2021
Personal details
Born
Lorna Slater

(1975-09-27) 27 September 1975 (age 46)
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Political partyScottish Greens
Alma materUniversity of British Columbia
Occupation
WebsiteLorna Slater

Lorna Slater (born 27 September 1975) is a Canadian-born Scottish politician who has served as Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity since 2021. She has served as co-leader of the Scottish Greens alongside Patrick Harvie since 2019, and is one of the first Green politicians in the UK to serve as a government minister. Slater has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Lothian region since 2021.

Born in Alberta, Canada, Slater attended the University of British Columbia. In 2000, she booked a one-way flight to Scotland, with a plan to travel across Europe. After staying in Scotland, Slater decided to stay permanently and she worked as an engineer in the renewables sector. She became politically involved in the Scottish Greens and was a candidate in the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, but failed to win a seat.

In 2019, Slater replaced Maggie Chapman as co-leader of the Scottish Greens in the co-leadership election. She was the candidate for the Edinburgh Northern and Leith constituency in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.[1] Although she failed to win, she was elected as an additional member for the Lothian region.[2] Following a power-sharing agreement with the SNP, Slater was promoted to the Scottish Government as a junior minister in the third Sturgeon government.

Early life and engineering career[]

Lorna Slater was born in Calgary in the Canadian province of Alberta.[3][4][5] She was educated at the Western Canada High School.[6] From 1993 to 2000, she attended University of British Columbia in Vancouver, where she gained a dual degree in electro-mechanical engineering.[7]

In 2000, a month after she was due to graduate, she purchased a one-way ticket to Glasgow and planned to travel across Europe for two years, but ended up staying in Scotland.[5] After moving there, she worked as an engineer in the renewables sector, then later as a project manager.[8][9]

In 2018, she was one of three women from Scotland awarded a place on the Homeward Bound international leadership development programme and this included a trip to Antarctica the following year, where she had studied the effects of climate change.[10][11][12]

Early political career[]

Slater became politically involved during the run-up to the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, where she campaigned in favour of Scottish independence.[13]

Slater has been an election candidate for the Scottish Greens several times. At the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, the party named her third on the Lothian list,[14] while in 2017 general election, she was one of only three candidates fielded by the Scottish Greens,[9] standing for Edinburgh North and Leith.[15]

In April 2019, in a City of Edinburgh Council by-election for the Leith Walk ward, she took a 25.5 per cent share of first preference votes, finishing second.[16] She was co-convener of the Scottish Greens Operations Committee when she was named second on the list of the party's candidates for the 2019 European Parliament election.[17]

Also in 2019 Slater came third in the selection for the Green Party's Lothian list. Alison Johnstone got 191 first votes, Andy Wightman got 133 votes and Slater got 36 votes.

Official parliamentary portrait, 2021

Co-leader of the Scottish Greens[]

Co-leadership election bid[]

Changes to the Scottish Greens' constitution meant the positions of co-conveners would be abolished in favour of the newly established positions of co-leaders. In the run up to the 2019 Scottish Greens co-leadership election, Slater announced her candidacy, via Twitter. When announcing her candidacy, she stated that the party was ready for a "fresh new start." Upon winning, she said that she wanted to get more women and non-binary people elected, and to gain more seats than ever before at the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.[10]

On 1 August 2019, the results were announced and Slater replaced Maggie Chapman as the female co-leader (formerly co-convenor). She gained 30.2%, coming second place. She is serving alongside Patrick Harvie for a two-year term.[10] As Slater was not a member of the Scottish Parliament, Alison Johnstone served as co-leader of the Scottish Greens within the Scottish Parliament, until the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.

2021 election campaign[]

Slater at Stop Cambo Rally, July 2021

Slater became a prominent figure in the lead up to the Scottish parliamentary election, with her being featured in TV Debates and interviews. In the first televised debate on BBC Scotland, Slater urged action on climate change, stating; "Science tells us we have less than 10 years before the climate breakdown goes past the point of no return. The time to act is now." She also reinstated how the Scottish Greens would support legislation on another referendum on Scottish independence within the "next term of parliament".[18]

In the 2021 election to the 6th Scottish Parliament, the Scottish Greens saw their best result ever. The party gained 8.1% of votes on the regional list, earning two additional seats. As the Scottish National Party was one seat away from a majority, the Greens' gain in the election created a pro-independence majority. Slater predicted the Greens "will have more influence than ever".[19]

Member of the Scottish Parliament; 2021 to present[]

Slater stood was the Greens' candidate for the Edinburgh Northern and Leith constituency in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election. She gained 13.1% of the votes, but failed to win the seat, coming third.[1] Although Slater was unsuccessful in winning the constituency, she was second on the party list vote for the Lothian region, and was successfully elected as an additional member.[2]

Slater is a member of the Scottish Parliament's Economy and Fair Work Committee.[20] She is the Scottish Greens' Spokesperson on Economic Recovery and Green Industrial Strategy.[20]

Maiden speech[]

Slater delivering her maiden speech to the Scottish Parliament, May 2021

On 18 May 2021, Slater delivered her maiden speech to the Scottish Parliament. She called on all the parties to "work constructively and across party lines" to make transformative change. She also called on for the parliament to build a case for Scotland to leave the United Kingdom and believes the nation should vote again in another independence referendum.[21]

We can take many of these steps now, without waiting for independence. But completing the necessary transformation must also involve asking the people of Scotland to choose their own future and building the case for independence which is based on transformation, on building the Scotland we want to see. A fair and green Scotland that is in charge of its own destiny.

COVID-19 rules breach[]

On 10 June 2021, a picture was shared on social media which showed Slater and other members of the Greens, including co-leader Patrick Harvie and MSP for West Scotland Ross Greer, breaching social distancing measures. At the time only three households were allowed meet indoors. However, The Scottish Sun reported that Slater, Harvie, Greer and another Green Party member were pictured at a bar in Edinburgh. Slater responded, “This was an honest mistake, we're kicking ourselves and we apologise unreservedly".[22]

(From left to right) Patrick Harvie; Nicola Sturgeon and Slater outside Bute House following the SNP-Greens co-operation agreement, 2021

Bute House Agreement[]

In August 2021 after weeks of talks, she was at Bute House with co-leader Patrick Harvie and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to announce a power-sharing agreement that would see the Green party in government for the first time in the United Kingdom. There was no agreement on oil and gas exploration. As part of the agreement the Green Party would have two ministers in government.[23]

Junior minister; 2021 to present[]

On 30 August 2021, Slater was appointed as a junior minister in the Scottish Government as Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity. She and Harvie are the first Green Party politicians in both Scottish and UK political history to serve in government.[24]

In November 2021 Slater announced that a flagship recycling scheme for drinks containers had been delayed yet again. Although prior to her election Slater had told voters the scheme “needs doing”, in government she said it was proving too tricky. Greenpeace said such, "a shambolic delay to the long awaited deposit return scheme is embarrassing for a government which loves to shout about its green credentials."[25]

Personal life[]

Slater has autism and has spoken out about living with the disorder.[26] She is also hobby aerialist[27] and has a pet bearded dragon called Bellamy, named after David Bellamy.[28]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Nutt, Kathleen (1 April 2021). "Scottish Greens to stand in 12 constituencies as party publishes full candidates' list". The National. Archived from the original on 2 April 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  2. ^ a b Press Association (8 May 2021). "Lorna Slater: Scottish Greens will have more influence than ever". Irvine Times. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  3. ^ "Sky's the limit: Meet Scotland's newest party leader". STV News. 13 August 2019. Archived from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  4. ^ Grant, Alistair (5 August 2019). "Scotland's newest party leader swaps the big top for the political circus". The Herald. Archived from the original on 6 August 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  5. ^ a b Scottish Greens [@scottishgreens] (30 April 2021). "I arrived in Glasgow with nothing but my backpack and a lot of student loan debt" (Tweet). Retrieved 30 April 2021 – via Twitter.
  6. ^ "European Graduates | The University of British Columbia". graduates.name. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  7. ^ "Meet the Remakery Team". Edinburgh Remakery. Archived from the original on 28 February 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  8. ^ "The varied life of an electro-mechanical engineer". sciencegrrl.co.uk. 9 October 2014. Archived from the original on 2 August 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  9. ^ a b Davidson, Jenni (10 May 2017). "Scottish Greens reveal candidates for European elections". Holyrood. Archived from the original on 2 August 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  10. ^ a b c Bell, Sean (1 August 2019). "'It's not democracy if it's not representative': New Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater says party will become more diverse under her leadership". CommonSpace. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  11. ^ "Edinburgh engineer heading to the Antarctic". theedinburghreporter.co.uk. 3 May 2018. Archived from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  12. ^ Slater, Lorna (1 April 2019). "The not-so-strange connection between Antarctica and Leith". Edinburgh Evening News. Archived from the original on 2 August 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  13. ^ Allison, David (29 April 2017). "Local elections 2017: Leaflets, letterboxes and shoe leather". BBC News. Archived from the original on 3 August 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  14. ^ "Edinburgh's parliament election candidates named". Edinburgh Evening News. 1 April 2016. Archived from the original on 2 August 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  15. ^ "Election 2017 > Edinburgh North & Leith". BBC News. 25 April 2019. Archived from the original on 21 March 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  16. ^ Bol, David (12 April 2019). "SNP candidate Rob Munn victorious in Leith Walk by-election". Edinburgh Evening News. Archived from the original on 19 August 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  17. ^ Kirkaldy, Liam (25 April 2019). "Scottish Greens reveal candidates for European elections". Holyrood. Archived from the original on 2 August 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  18. ^ "Everything you need to know about Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater". www.scotsman.com. Archived from the original on 24 July 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  19. ^ "Lorna Slater: Scottish Greens will have more influence than ever". Banbury Cake. Archived from the original on 24 July 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  20. ^ a b "Lorna Slater". www.parliament.scot. Archived from the original on 24 July 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  21. ^ "WATCH: Lorna Slater calls on Holyrood to build case for independent Scotland". The National. Archived from the original on 24 July 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  22. ^ Hutcheon, Paul (26 May 2021). "Scottish Green leaders breach strict covid rules while visiting Edinburgh boozer". Daily Record. Archived from the original on 24 July 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  23. ^ "SNP and Scottish Greens confirm power-sharing deal in historic moment for Greens". the Guardian. 20 August 2021. Archived from the original on 21 August 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  24. ^ "New Ministers to be appointed". The Scottish Government. 30 August 2021. Archived from the original on 30 August 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  25. ^ "Scotland's drinks recycling scheme delayed indefinitely, less than a week after COP26". inews.co.uk. 17 November 2021.
  26. ^ Slater, Lorna [@lornaslater] (11 June 2020). "As an autistic person (former girl) who has struggled with gender issues, I can assure you that there is a world of difference between being autistic and struggling with gender issues and being trans. Although, it would have been a comfort to me as a child to be able to discuss" (Tweet). Retrieved 17 January 2022 – via Twitter.
  27. ^ "Lorna Slater: 'Flying on a trapeze is wildly addictive'". BBC News. 9 May 2021. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  28. ^ "Politicians and their pets: Lorna Slater and her lizard, Bellamy". Holyrood. 1 April 2020. Retrieved 9 May 2021.

External links[]

Party political offices
Preceded by Co-leader of the Scottish Greens
2019 – present
With: Patrick Harvie 		Incumbent
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