Emma McShane has the kind of experience of community campaigning and voluntary work which would put most councillors to shame.
Having graduated with a degree in Scots Law, specialising in social housing, the 23-year-old went straight into working and volunteering for housing associations.
Photo: Emma McShane
She told Renfrewshire News: “When you’re working in social housing, you’re seeing people day in day out- especially in community-based housing associations- because you’ve got a core group of people that you’re seeing all the time, so you build a good relationship. It’s not just issues with housing that you hear about, it’s issues with everything. The common themes that often arise in social housing, especially in Paisley Southeast, is that there is a lack of sufficient housing.
“Whilst there are a number of socially rented homes available, they can be unsuitable for people’s needs. There is a lack of family homes. There are lots of neglected tenements in the area that, for a variety of reasons, aren’t being maintained. Some because there are owners living there who cannot always afford to pay for major repairs, and that’s the price we’ve paid for ‘right to buy’- mixed tenure closes.”
Emma is keen to put the issue of housing at the forefront of this election. She said: “We need to be renovating the housing stock that we’ve got just now in our ward because you look at areas like Fairway Avenue where some tenements are still getting developed, some are just being left, but they are focussing their energy on supporting expensive new build projects in green spaces that are not meeting the housing need of the people who live here. We don’t need more mortgaged homes; we need more socially rented homes that are fit for purpose.”
Emma is passionate about bringing change to her local community in other ways. From arguing against building on green spaces, such as at Caplethill Road, to maintaining vital local services like the children’s ward at the RAH, Emma has taken forward the concerns of local residents about the actions of a local council which does not seem to listen.
“I am standing because I am completely disenfranchised with the quality of councillor that we’ve had, particularly in this ward. From what I’ve seen over the last few years I think councils need a Green voice to stand up for what people want. A lot of parties are dictating from their head offices rather than governing as part of a functional local democracy. In Labour-run councils you see common themes across the country, so I think there needs to be a voice to challenge on these issues.”
The Scottish Greens have always stressed the importance of local democracy. From participatory budgeting to community ownership, Greens across the country have pioneered new ways of putting power into the hands of ordinary citizens.
Emma said: “I think we need to see more activities like participatory budgeting. You see it in Glasgow. They do it very well. They have huge open meetings, and it is broadcast to the community and they’re engaging with the right people, but we’re just not getting it Renfrewshire.
“In places like Glenburn, there are projects doing phenomenal work – at the resource centre, at the libraries. There’s all these little pockets of communities working and the job of local councillors should be to ensure that these groups are communicating and working towards common goals, alongside being supported by the local authority.
“If you get something like participatory budgeting in place then you give these groups money and support which are distributed according to the needs of residents of the community enable them to work towards bigger project goals.”
With all the talk of independence and Brexit there is a concern in some quarters that local issues might be overlooked, but this is something that the Greens are keen to address.
Speaking at the Scottish Greens’ local manifesto launch in April, candidate for Victoria Park in Glasgow, Allan Faulds, said: “Those parties that are trying to make it about constitutional issues are doing a great disservice to their communities.” Emma concurs: “I think there can be a theme in local elections that certain parties don’t take it as seriously as they should.
She said: “There’s a lot going on nationally in politics but there has to be a local focus because this is really the day-to-day stuff that affects people’s lives. People are upset by not having the correct parking in place, by hospitals not having the right facilities, by community centres going under and by a genuine lack of cohesive services. These issues matter massively to people but are not always thought of as a political problem. We need to change that perception so that people are empowered to hold their local council to account.
“I can’t tell people what issues they should be voting on, but I hope they will recognise that what the Greens are putting forward in Renfrewshire is an appetite to listen and to act on their concerns to protect our environment, connect our communities and protect our local services.”
The Greens are looking on course for what party co-convener, Patrick Harvie, hopes to be: “more people elected to public office in May, in the local council elections, than have ever been elected as Greens at any level in our history as a party.” The skills and experience of candidates like Emma are the backbone of a diverse party on the rise in Scottish politics.
Council elections take place this Thursday 4th May, and polls are open from 7am until 10pm.