Scottish Green co leader Gillian Mackay has said the only way to secure a pro independence majority in Holyrood is by electing a record number of Green MSPs in the upcoming election.

She made the comments ahead of a Believe in Scotland rally in Edinburgh, where she is due to speak alongside co leader Ross Greer.

Gillian Mackay said:

“Every vote for the Scottish Greens is a vote for a fairer, greener and independent Scotland.

“Every poll shows that it is those Green votes that can make the difference in terms of securing a pro-independence majority in May.

“With Labour failing on all fronts and the prospect of Nigel Farage in Downing Street, it is more crucial than ever that we take our future into our own hands.

“We cannot continue allowing decisions to be made for us by far and remote governments who are all too happy to ignore Scotland.

“If our parliament loses our pro-independence majority then we risk Labour, Tories and Reform putting up even more hurdles and barriers and launching even more attacks on devolution.

“Independence is about democracy and the simple principle that the people who live here should decide our future.

“With the powers of an independent country we could do far more to tackle the cost of living crisis and protect our planet, rather than having to mitigate mistakes made in Westminster.

“We could do things differently by ending years of cuts and chaos, rejecting the hostile anti-migrant agenda being continued by Labour and rejoining the European Union.

“That’s why I’ll be marching and why independence will always be at the heart of our vision for Scotland.”

Mackay argued that the balance of power in the next Scottish Parliament could depend on Green representation, particularly if other pro independence parties fall short of a majority.

Her comments underline the central role that constitutional questions continue to play as the election campaign gathers pace.

The Scottish Greens are positioning themselves as key to shaping the direction of the next parliament, both on independence and wider policy issues including climate and social justice.

As campaigning intensifies, parties across the political spectrum are setting out competing visions for Scotland’s future ahead of the May vote.