Glasgow Southside has gone Green: Holly Bruce win’s Nicola’s Sturgeon’s former seat
One Thursday, nearly 40,000 voters in Glasgow Southside went to the polls to elect their new MSPs for the Scottish Parliamentary Election. The Scottish Greens’ Holly Bruce secured one of the first ever Green constituency seats for the local area. Speaking to Greater Govanhill, the MSP spoke about how she will tackle the issues you care about.
Holly Bruce, the newly elected MSP for Glasgow Southside
By Samar Jamal | Photo courtesy of the Scottish Greens
Scottish Green member and Langside councillor, Holly Bruce, has been elected Glasgow Southside’s new MSP. Holly will take over the seat from former SNP member and ex-First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, who has represented Glasgow Southside since 2011 but stood down ahead of this election.
Holly is one of two Scottish Green Party members to secure Scotland’s first ever constituency seats – the other being Lorna Slater in Edinburgh Central (also winning the seat from SNP member, Angus Robertson).
Over the next five years, Holly will represent Glasgow Southside, advocating for devolved matters. As part of Greater Govanhill’s reporting on the election, we asked all Glasgow Southside candidates questions around issues most important to you. Keep scrolling to read her responses to your questions.
Like many other areas in Scotland, the results were uncertain, with some projecting the seat to remain with SNPs. However, the SNP candidate, endorsed by Nicola Sturgeon, Kaukab Stewart, came in second place, securing 10,947– around 3000 less than Holly, who gained 14,048 votes. Compared to the 2021 election, voter turn out for this year was much lower at 53.2%. The 2021 election had the highest voter turn out for a Scottish Parliament Election at 63.5%.
The full vote share was as follows:
Holly Bruce (GREEN) 14,048
Kaukab Stewart (SNP) 10,947
Rashid Hussain (LAB) 7,300
Gordon Millar (REF) 3,019
Ross Hutton (CON) 1,383
Rachel Park (LD) 1,143
Kamran Butt (COMM) 512
Arzoo Abdullah (IND) 147
At the count, she spoke to Greater Govanhill about her win, saying: “I’m so happy and I’m so honoured that I’ve been elected as Glasgow Southside MSP and I will do my utmost to stand by all communities of all backgrounds in that area.”
We also asked the newly elected MSP which issues she’ll be prioritising: “It really depends on how many MSPs we get, and then we’ve got to talk about all the committees, etc. But two main issues that we’ve been focusing on in Glasgow is bringing rent controls to Glasgow as soon as possible, and I know that Glasgow Southside really wants to see that ASAP.
Also, public transport is another big issue – one of the top lines for the campaign has been free bus travel for everyone in Scotland. So we want to work on that on day one in Parliament. And also my track record as a councillor has been to advocate for feminist town planning, so I would like to see and start working with the chief town planner in Scotland and how we can make that a reality nationally.”
The Scottish Greens now have an MSP in every region in Scotland, totalling 15 MSPs altogether. In the rest of Scotland, the SNP continue to hold the most seats as well as making unexpected gains in places like Shetland, which has been a Liberal Democrat seat for over two decades.
Regional seats are just smaller constituency areas. Scotland is divided into eight regions and each region is represented by seven MSPs. Regional MSPs and constituency MSPs have the same powers, and you can approach both your constituency and regional MSP for support on issues.
The regional MSPs in Glasgow are:
Iris Duane, Scottish Green Party
Patrick Harvie, Scottish Green Party
Thomas Kerr, Reform UK
Pauline McNeill, Scottish Labour
Anas Sarwar, Scottish Labour
Kim Schmulian, Reform UK
Paul Sweeney, Scottish Labour
The make up of seats of the new Scottish Parliament is as follows:
Reform UK – 17
The Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party – 12
The Scottish Green Party – 15
The Scottish Labour Party – 17
The Scottish Liberal Democrats – 10
The Scottish National Party – 58
Over the next five years, Holly will represent the people of Glasgow Southside. As part of the follow up on our Citizens Agenda project, we’ll going to be doing follow up reporting on solutions that exist to the issues you raised. Know of something that works that we should write about? Let us know via newsroom@greatergovanhill.com.
The questions:
In Govanhill, high rents and overcrowding are major issues. What specific action would you take, using Holyrood’s powers, to increase affordable housing and make renting more secure?
Fly-tipping, overflowing bins and rubbish – especially in backcourts – are a major issue in Govanhill. This may be a council responsibility, but what would you do as an MSP to push for better standards, whether through increased funding, national policy or holding services to account?
The cost of transport in Glasgow is a major issue, and people want a more joined-up system, including publicly-owned buses and integrated ticketing. Do you support greater public control of buses and a single payment system, and what would you do to help make that happen?
Energy bills are a major issue, and many tenement homes need retrofitting. What would you support to improve energy efficiency in housing, and how would you make sure it actually brings down bills?
People can’t get GP appointments, many struggle with online booking, and some say they just go to hospital instead. What would you do to improve access to GP services and reduce waiting times?
Rising racism and anti-migrant rhetoric are a concern, and some people say they feel unsafe leaving their local area because of it. What would you do to tackle racism and discrimination in this area?
People raised concerns about rising hostility towards LGBTQ+ people, particularly the trans community. What will you do as an MSP to protect trans rights and ensure people feel safe?
Many residents feel ignored by politicians and report poor communication from elected representatives. How will you ensure you are accessible and accountable to people in Glasgow Southside?
People asked whether more funding should be raised to support local services. Do you think Scotland should use its tax powers differently, and if so, where should that money go?
Many in Govanhill are concerned about what’s happening to the people of Palestine. Last year the Scottish Parliament voted to impose a boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel. How would you ensure any commitments such as divestment, use of Scottish airports – are actually implemented?
What are the top two changes you would deliver for this constituency within 12 months, and how should voters judge whether you have succeeded?
Holly Bruce – Scottish Greens
Holly Bruce (Scottish Greens)
On housing
To tackle high rents and overcrowding in areas like Govanhill, the Scottish Greens have proposed a permanent and robust system of rent controls. We want to expand current legislation to include student housing, mid-market rent, and Build-to-Rent developments. In Glasgow, Green councillors (including myself) have already ringfenced budget resources to deliver these controls as soon as possible.
We will build thousands of high-quality social homes to provide a genuine, affordable alternative to the private sector.
We will empower councils to force owners of derelict land and property to sell or rent them for housing.
We support a 200% surcharge on non-domestic rates for empty properties and second homes – a policy Glasgow Greens have already secured.
We will end needless profiteering by funding councils and social landlords to become preferred housing suppliers to end the routine use of hotels for people seeking asylum.
On the local environment and cleansing
I will fight for a fairer funding deal for Glasgow City Council to ensure our cleansing teams have the staff and equipment needed to manage backcourts and bin collections effectively.
Following the success in Pollokshields, I will advocate for rolling out more bin hubs to create a more efficient recycling system, with regular monitoring and enforcement.
We need to strengthen national fly-tipping legislation to make prosecution easier while providing more resources for community-led projects like the Govanhill Community Litter Pick.
I will continue to emphasise how important it is to have free and accessible public toilets within the Southside’s public realm and greenspace.
On transport
Building on free bus travel for under-22s, we want free bus travel for everyone and we will bring buses back into public ownership through franchising.
I will continue to champion for there to be more night buses to ensure our hospitality and shift workers can get home safely.
I will advocate to expand the capacity on the Cathcart Circle line and for it to be part of Glasgow Metro. I will continue to push for improvements to train station accessibility in order to help folks with disabilities and families with buggies.
The Scottish Greens will also propose Scotland’s first integrated ticketing system with zonal pricing and daily caps across all transport modes.
On energy and homes
Drilling for more oil and gas will not lower bills or keep our homes warm. We will lead a renewables revolution with a £600 million investment in wind, tidal, and solar power.
The Southside has a vast array of tenemental housing, we will review tenement housing laws to make it easier for residents in blocks to manage repairs and energy efficiency upgrades.
We will help homeowners cut their energy bills by making their properties the most energy efficient they can be, expanding current energy efficiency support schemes and rolling out bespoke support for those in older properties
The Southside has massive heat potential. I will make the case for plugging the Glasgow Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre (GRREC) into a district heating network for Govanhill, Battlefield, and Mount Florida. Large heat sources such as supermarkets and storage like Govanhill Baths could contribute to the network.
On healthcare access
GPs deliver over 90% of patient contact but receive a fraction of the budget. We will shift NHS funding to community health to achieve a ratio of one GP per 1,000 patients, allowing for 15-minute appointments.
We will expand GP teams to include mental health practitioners and welfare rights officers.
We will introduce a single electronic patient record while guaranteeing phone and in-person access for those who struggle with technology.
On racism and discrimination
Having engaged directly with Muslim and Roma communities during this campaign, I am committed to empowering communities to apply for protest buffer zones around community centres and places of worship.
We will introduce Scotland-wide anti-racist education and public campaigns highlighting the vital contributions of migrants, refugees, asylum seekers and people of colour.
The Scottish Greens will review the implementation of the Hate Crime (Scotland) Act to respond to the rise in racially aggravated and anti-Semitic crimes, and fully implement the Islamophobia in Scotland report recommendations.
We will also establish a Community Cohesion fund for local authorities to invest in grassroots engagement in communities hosting New Scots. I have worked with many organisations locally like Romano Lav, Milk Cafe and the South East Integration Network who do wonderful and vital work in this community.
On LGBTQA+ rights
As a member of the LGBTQA+ community, I want to increase our representation in Parliament and contribute my own lived experience as queer person living in the Southside.
While other parties treat trans rights as negotiable, we view them as fundamental. Trans rights are human rights and I will always fight for trans people to exist safely and authentically.
The Scottish Greens will introduce a comprehensive ban on conversion therapy covering all settings, such as religious, informal, community, family-based and therapeutic, with clear protections for affirming healthcare, and inclusive of trans, non-binary, and asexual identities.
We will publish a gender-affirming care action plan within 6 months, to turbo-charge efforts to bring down shocking waiting times. Existing legislation allowing GPs to provide primary care for trans people could be implemented with bridging policies and best practice guidance in each GP practice.
The Scottish Greens will also expand inclusive education and anti-bullying programmes in schools and youth programmes.
On funding local services
We want to tax wealth rather than work. Under devolution, we will scrap council tax and replace it with a fairer system based on a residential property tax.
The Scottish Greens will shift the tax burden onto the super-rich and multi-national companies like Amazon, private schools, out-of-town shopping centres and arms dealers through new non-domestic rate surcharges.
With the full powers of independence, we could introduce a Wealth Tax and effective Corporation Tax, and set Capital Gains tax equal to income tax to raise billions of pounds for public services.
On Palestine
The Scottish Greens were instrumental in ensuring Scotland was the first country in the world to pass a package of Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) against complicity in the occupation.
Previous Glasgow Green MSP Patrick Harvie has also been working hard to demand an end to the Israeli military’s commercial use of Prestwick Airport.
In Glasgow, our Green councillors secured a human rights due diligence process on procurement contracts.
And I am proud to stand with local groups like Mothers Against Genocide and Artworkers for Palestine. I’ve also stood in solidarity at marches led by the Gaza Genocide Emergency Committee (GGEC), No Pride in Genocide and Give Israel the Red Card campaign.
On accountability
The era of stale, performative politics is over. I want to be present, empathetic and action-orientated. I live in Southside and as a local councillor, I’ve already worked alongside you to secure lighting in Queen’s Park, fight for the retention of vital greenspace at Mount Florida Bowling Club and Cathkin Park, and helped to secure funding to reopen Langside Halls.
I don't just talk about grassroots politics; I practice it. I am committed to being accessible and would be delighted to provide regular local reports to the community through outlets like Greater Govanhill magazine.
On the difference you will make within 12 months
Advocate for an Immediate Rent Freeze: Implementing emergency measures to stop rent hikes in Govanhill while the Housing Bill progresses.
Franchise Glasgow’s Buses: Jumpstarting the legal process to bring our bus network back under public control immediately.
(A cheeky third is to work together with the Govanhill Baths Community Trust to see the Baths finally reopen over the course of this parliament!)