Community campaigners star in web-first Green broadcast
For immediate release 10 April 2011
The Scottish Green Party have today launched their party election broadcast for the 2011 Holyrood poll on Facebook and Twitter, 24 hours before its first airing on Monday. The film, entitled 'Because', features party supporters and members who share the Greens' vision for Scotland, as well local campaigners telling how Greens have supported their efforts to protect their homes, community hospitals, local schools and green spaces.
The film features 26 speakers from across the Scottish regions, including former BBC Scotland correspondent Louise Batchelor, land rights campaigner Andy Wightman, artist David Shrigley, and Michael Forbes, who was threatened with eviction by Donald Trump. The broadcast also features music by Edinburgh band White Heath from their forthcoming debut album "Take No Thought For Tomorrow".
Patrick Harvie said:
"During the last Parliament we worked with community campaigns across Scotland, from the North Kelvin Meadow group in Glasgow to the Menie residents threatened with eviction by Donald Trump. Greens supported local hospital campaigners, fought to keep schools open, and worked to protect the green spaces communities rely on. We could not be more pleased to see so many people prepared to come out now and say why they in turn are giving their second vote to the Greens in May."
The broadcast is available on Vimeo and on YouTube.
It will be aired first on April 11 at the following times: BBC 1 at 22.35, BBC 2 at 23.30 and STV at 22.40. The radio version is on BBC Radio Scotland at 15:55.
The film was directed, shot and edited by Simon Hipkins and James Alcock from Macmillan Media.
The 26 people featured in the Scottish Greens' party election broadcast are, in order of appearance:
1. Merle Ferguson, from Ardentinny
2. Elanor Gordon, from Invergordon, filmed in Stirling
3. Rob Kay, from Kilsyth, Green list candidate for Central region
4. Marij van Helmond, Dunoon
5. Emily Freeman, Edinburgh
6. Idem Lewis, Glasgow
7. Anne Widdop, director of a small company in Edinburgh
8. Andy Wightman, land rights campaigner and land value tax expert (http://www.andywightman.com)
9. Douglas Peacock, North Kelvin Meadow campaign, Glasgow (http://www.northkelvinmeadow.com)
10. Helen Houston, Moffat
11. Michael Forbes, threatened with eviction for Donald Trump's development at Menie, Aberdeenshire
12. Dorothy Bothwell, Friends of Union Terrace Gardens, Aberdeen (http://www.friendsofutg.org)
13. Kim Suprajirawatananon, Glasgow
14. Dominic Hinde, Edinburgh
15. Gordon Cowtan, Fintry
16. Louise Batchelor, former BBC Scotland environment correspondent, Kinross
17. Uzma Tufail-Hanif, Edinburgh
18. Veronika Tudhope, postal worker and active in CWU, Green list candidate for Central region, Kilmarnock
19. Jim Evans-Ewing, Glasgow
20. David Shrigley, Glasgow artist (http://www.davidshrigley.com)
21. Callum Whiteford, Edinburgh
22. Simon Hackin, founder of Greenworks, an Edinburgh wood reuse and recycling enterprise (http://www.greenworksscotland.org.uk)
23. Sarah Holliday, from Tiree, filmed in Edinburgh
24. Graeme Holbrook, Moffat
25. Jack Hunter, Edinburgh
26. Emma Pattinson, Edinburgh
27. Dominic Hinde (again)
28. Kim Suprajirawatananon (again)
29. Jim Evans-Ewing (again)
The track featured is "Sunday In Fragments". For more on White Heath, visit them on Myspace.
The Scottish Green Party's three key election campaign pledges are as follows:
- No fees – keep tuition free
Education benefits us all, not just students, and must be based on the ability to learn, not to pay.
- Fairer taxes – invest in public services
Only Greens are offering an alternative to the cuts to public services: investment built on revenue from big business and the better off.
- Cut your bills – insulate every home
We would insulate every home for free, boost jobs and tackle climate change.