THE Scottish Borders Green Party has announced its candidate for the Galashiels and District ward at this year’s council elections.

Fifty-five-year-old Neil MacKinnon will contest the ward at the elections set to be held in May.

This will be the first time the father of three has stood in an election, however, he has worked with previous Scottish Green Party campaigns.

Mr MacKinnon says he is ‘honoured’ to have been selected to represent the Scottish Borders Greens.

He said: “I am honoured to have been chosen for this role and hope to be elected so I can serve the people of Galashiels.

“With the climate emergency a real and present danger it is important to elect Green politicians to every level of government to help drive the change that is required to meet this emergency head on.

“No action by any council or individual is too small not to count.”

Mr MacKinnon, who is originally from Peebles but has lived in Galashiels for most of his life, says one of his goals is to encourage the use of ‘micro-generation projects’ in the town, as well as across the region. Another is to see a greater roll-out of electric vehicles.

He said: “The council should be encouraging micro-generation projects, solar and small-scale wind on public buildings like village halls and libraries.

“The privately funded river turbine at Philiphaugh should be a model for the council to promote the use of the fast flowing rivers in most Borders towns as a reliable and sustainable source of power.”

The scientific equipment engineer added: “Many people in the region, especially in Galashiels, live in accommodation where charging an electric vehicle is just not possible. There needs to be a drive for on-street charging points in residential areas through the Borders.”

Mr MacKinnon is joined by Dominic Ashmole who will stand for the Scottish Borders Greens in the Tweeddale West ward in the May elections.