Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater will contest an Edinburgh seat at this year’s Holyrood election, the party has said.
Ms Slater will take on Scottish Government minister and incumbent Ben Macpherson for the Edinburgh Northern and Leith seat in May.
The co-leader, who lives in Leith, came second to the SNP in a 2019 by-election for the Leith Walk ward on Edinburgh City Council, winning more than 25% of the vote.
She said: “I’m delighted to have been asked to run in the place I call home.
“Voters in Edinburgh North and Leith frequently see property developers put before people, our streets showing illegal levels of traffic pollution and our skies lit up by the Mossmorran gas plant in Fife.
“We have too many short-term lets and not enough affordable housing. That’s why we need a local Green MSP that pushes the SNP to take action on these issues and the climate emergency.
“We do things differently in Leith.
“I’m excited that this is the first time in the constituency vote here that voters will have the option to back the bold proposals the Scottish Greens have, for our future, for rejoining the European family as an independent country and leading the charge on renewable energy.”
Fellow Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie will contend the Glasgow Kelvin constituency this year, and the party’s Alison Johnstone will attempt to beat former SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson for the Edinburgh Central seat currently held by Conservative Ruth Davidson.
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