Two weeks after the general election was called, nominations have now closed.

I’m delighted to confirm that everyone in Glasgow will have the opportunity to vote Green on July 4th.

From Castlemilk to Carntyne, and from Pollokshields to Possilpark, people will be able to vote like their futures depend on it – backing hard-working Scottish Greens candidates who’ll deliver climate action and a fight for a fairer economy that works for people and the planet.

Over the next few weeks, I will be joining our excellent candidates out on the doorsteps to listen to voters and make the case for real and radical change.

Importantly, for voters disillusioned with both Labour and the SNP lurching to the right, Greens being on the ballot gives a genuine left alternative, that rejects continued austerity.

Greens will introduce a wealth tax on the richest 1% to raise over £75 billion to invest in vital public services and deliver a real new deal for workers by ending anti-trade union laws, ensuring a real living wage for all workers, and devolving employment law to Scotland.

Greens will also make sure that the climate emergency is on the election agenda. Only the Greens accept the basic science of climate change – that we must leave most fossil fuels in the ground if we are to have any hope of avoiding climate catastrophe. That means committing to no new drilling for oil and gas, ensuring both a just and rapid transition, switching to 100% of our energy from renewables.

And in a UK election, where foreign policy is a key concern, we will offer a strong voice for peace, justice and international cooperation, from Gaza to Ukraine and beyond, as well as offering a route back to Europe in an independent Scotland.

There is a record number of Scottish Greens standing at these elections – 44 in total – including in Paisley, East Kilbride and Clydebank, as well as all the Glasgow seats. Following record results in both Holyrood and Council elections, and with results like free bus travel for young people, lifting 100,000 children out of poverty through the Scottish Child Payment, and scrapping peak time rail fares under our belts, momentum is with the Greens.

A Labour-led government is almost certainly the outcome of this election. People were fed up with lying, cheating Tories before Rishi Sunak called the election. That he can’t seem to stop himself from stepping on rakes since is just compounding their misery.

But the first few weeks of the campaign have said a lot about the kind of government that Keir Starmer wants to lead.

The way Labour has stitched-up selections, forcing out left-wing candidates who had local support, to parachute in their own NEC members and assorted cronies is telling.

If this is an indicator of how they will use the power they are about to get, that looks like being needlessly cruel, punching down on minorities, and shattering even more promises.

A vote for the Scottish Greens is a vote to reject that kind of politics, which holds the public in contempt. Instead, it’s a vote for a green, fair and independent Scotland in the European Union – because our future depends on it.