Election 2024: Greens offer positive vision to 'despondent' voters in Fife crying out for change

She is one of three Green candidates standing in the Kingdom - the most ever - and she believes the party offers people in the Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy seat a positive alternative.

“I have never seen people more despondent to be honest,” she said. “The overwhelming thing I hear is they want to see the back of the Tories, but they are not feeling inspired by what Labour and SNP are offering. People are negative about politics.

"We have to be able to offer a positive vision.”

That, Mags says, is where the Greens come in, and a strong vote, she argued, holds Labour accountable if, the polls suggest, they head to power on a huge majority.

“We know Westminster elections are difficult for parties such as ours because of the first past the post system - it entrenches politics - but we are contesting three of the four Fife seats for the first time, and that ensures as many people as possible get the chance to vote for us.

"That in turn will send a clear message to Labour which, even before they are in the door, are rolling back on their commitments. A vote for Greens holds Labour accountable.”

Locality, Mags pinpoints the key issues as jobs and the cost of living crisis, and a sense no-one is listening to people’s worries.

“People feel really stretched, They feel the pound in their pocket isn’t going as far as it used to,” she said. “The Scottish Government could be benefiting from jobs in green economy and the transition away from oil and gas. We are getting a bit of it, but it isn’t enough, and Kirkcaldy district is prime for green technology development.

“We have ports where much work can be done - decommissioning rigs and building parts for wind turbines. Fife Council is training people to get into this vector but they are doing it in Leith, Aberdeen and Dundee. We can do this work locally.

“This is a real, and massive opportunity, but it needs significant investment - the Scottish Government is trying to deliver change with one hand tied behind its back as it cannot raise all its money.

“I’ve spent a lot of time this last five or six years knocking on doors and speaking to voters - it really hammered home how much this area would benefit from voting and getting a Green voice in Parliament.

“We need change at political level - we need people in council chambers, at Holyrood and Westminster who understand the climate emergency and challenges communities face these days. The Greens are the only meaningful party with a record on this.”

In terms of key commitments, Mags points to her party’s bid to bring in fair energy bills,and fair food prices; de-coupling gas and electricity charges and scrapping standing charges - “no justification for them” - and she wants voters to look at how France caps food prices when inflation rises, and how it could work here.

“When you look at countries like France it can take decision on policy with powers of taxation,” she said. “We have a Scottish Parliament responsible for addressing child poverty, heath and education, but not for raising all the money to do it. The system with Westminster paralyses our politics.”Mags hopes a solid vote for Greens will start to change that dial and also be a springboard into the 2026 Scottish parliamentary elections.

> Also standing in the constituency are Lesley Backhouse (SNP), Sonia Davidson (Reforrm UK), Fraser Graham (Lib Dems), Johnathan Gray (Tory), Calum Paul (Libertarian Party) and Melanie Ward (Labour)