{"id":939930,"date":"2026-05-05T19:17:24","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T19:17:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/939930\/"},"modified":"2026-05-05T19:17:24","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T19:17:24","slug":"greens-quietly-optimistic-in-edinburgh-central-with-snp-languishing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/939930\/","title":{"rendered":"Greens quietly optimistic in Edinburgh Central, with SNP languishing"},"content":{"rendered":"

SCOTTISH Greens co-leader Ross Greer<\/a> said he is cautiously optimistic about his party\u2019s chances in Edinburgh Central<\/a>, with the party pulling away from the SNP and \u201cinvisible man\u201d Angus Robertson in a tight race.<\/p>\n

The race has pitted former Greens co-leader Lorna Slater<\/a> against incumbent cabinet minister Angus Robertson<\/a>, in one of the election\u2019s<\/a> most high-profile races.<\/p>\n

Slater described Robertson as the \u201cinvisible man\u201d and said his campaign has lacked energy and momentum, providing an opening for Greens to hoover up left-leaning, pro-independence voters disaffected with the SNP.<\/p>\n

They also believe that Robertson\u2019s meeting with Israeli deputy ambassador Daniela Grudsky almost two years ago, still \u201csticks in the craw\u201d of many voters in the constituency, a significant proportion of whom are students.<\/p>\n

\"\"Lorna Slater, the Greens\u2019 former co-leader, has been tasked with winning their first ever constituency race \u00a9 2026 Martin McAdam<\/p>\n

Describing the battle for Edinburgh Central during a campaign event just off Princes Street, Greer said: \u201cIt is a three-way contest, but we believe at this point the Greens are ahead and it\u2019s Labour in second.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe that\u2019s what Labour\u2019s returns are showing as well \u2013 it\u2019s certainly what the bar chart on their letter is showing: it\u2019s probably a choice between the Greens and Labour in this constituency.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a very different constituency to the one that bore its name at the last election. It\u2019s the same name, but the boundaries are very, very different. On these boundaries, we are pretty sure we\u2019re ahead, but it\u2019s narrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cWe\u2019re proposing genuinely bold and radical change, building on the kind of change we\u2019ve already delivered that is saving folk a fortune.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s for the SNP to explain why their campaign around here struggling so much.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we can all recognize that Palestine is a motivating issue for a lot of voters, and you still have a lot of people around here who remember Angus meeting with the Israeli ambassador during a genocide to talk about cultural cooperation and renewable energy, etc. That still sticks in the craw for a lot of people.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Greens are hoping to make Edinburgh Central their first constituency seat, having only won seats through the regional list in the past.<\/p>\n

The fight between the SNP and the Greens has allowed Labour\u2019s James Dalgleish \u2013 Edinburgh Council\u2019s Education Convener \u2013 to creep up through the middle and carve out a foothold.<\/p>\n

According to Ballot Box Scotland, The Greens are expected to win around 30% of the vote in Edinburgh Central, with Labour predicted to end up with around 22%, just ahead of the SNP.<\/p>\n

Many observers went into the election expecting Robertson to retain the seat he won by almost 5,000 votes at the last election, but since Slater announced her intention to contest the constituency, the picture has changed.<\/p>\n

Slater has described Robertson as the \u201cinvisible man\u201d during this campaign and claimed that she hasn\u2019t seen him at any hustings she\u2019s attended.<\/p>\n

Slater joined Greer in Edinburgh and described the race: \u201cWe\u2019ve thrown the kitchen sink at this, we\u2019ve had multiple teams of volunteers every night, everyone is so excited about this.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd if you go on some of the streets in Marchmont and Tollcross, the number of green posters up \u2013 I\u2019ve never seen anything like it.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo we\u2019ve certainly given it our absolute best shot, and, it\u2019s looking good, but we\u2019ll, of course, have to wait and see.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said that the boundary changes, with Edinburgh Central shifting further south and drawing in Marchmont, Bruntsfield, and Dalry, where a lot of student, young professionals, renters, and core Green voters reside, have helped the Greens.<\/p>\n

On Angus Robertson\u2019s role so far in the campaign, she said: \u201cHe\u2019s the invisible man. I haven\u2019t seen him at a single hustings.\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked whether this meant Robertson had not attended a single hustings, she clarified: \u201cNot that I\u2019ve been at, I think he has done a few, but not ones that I\u2019ve been at.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GreerGreer appeared optimistic about the race, but said that, with three parties in the running, it would likely be tight<\/p>\n

Angus Robertson was on the campaign trail over the weekend, and was joined by First Minister John Swinney in the Meadows.<\/p>\n

During this event, he said that he hadn\u2019t been given sufficient notice to attend hustings events, but had attended one at Grassmarket Community Centre and another in the Old Town.<\/p>\n

Slater went on to describe why she believed Robertson\u2019s campaign to be sputtering near the finish line:<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, he\u2019s still a minister, so he might be busy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think some of the hustings would be quite uncomfortable for him: people asking difficult questions about Palestine and his meeting with that Israeli Minister [Israeli deputy ambassador Daniela Grudsky].\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t seem like his heart is in it as much as maybe the Green. Our team is just so excited about this, whereas maybe there\u2019s a lack of energy on the SNP side.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Telegraph reported last week that some members of the Edinburgh University Yes Society \u2013 which campaigns for independence \u2013 refused to campaign with him over the meeting, but Mr Robertson was accompanied by a group of members of\u00a0Yes Scotland International<\/a> at the weekend.<\/p>\n

Scots go to the polls on 7 May, with the vote counts taking place the next day.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Angus Robertson, John Swinney and Deidre Brock. SNP event in Meadows Edinburgh May 2nd 2026.\u00a9 2026 Martin McAdam
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