Election 2022 / Alex Armitage
Shetland South
Name: Alex Armitage Electoral Ward: Shetland South Description: Scottish Green Party
I passionately believe in a socially and ecologically just society in which all people can live to their full potential, sustained by a thriving natural environment.
I’m 40 years old, I live in Bigton with my wife and son and I work part-time as a consultant paediatrician. Though I’ve only recently moved to Shetland, I care deeply about our community and have strong roots here; my mother grew up in Lerwick and my grandparents came from Scatness and Cunningsburgh.
Why I’m Standing
As a children’s doctor with over a decade of experience working in inner city London and South Africa, I’ve realised that there are only so many problems that medicine can fix – most of the root causes of mental and physical illness lie in problems of our wider society. The answers to these problems lie in politics.
I decided to become politically active because I want to use my voice to speak up for the interests of ordinary people and the ecological systems that sustain us. I want to help find solutions to the critical problems that face us and our children, as we look ahead to the rest of the 21st century.
Whilst I believe Shetland will be spared from the worst immediate effects of climate breakdown such as crop failure, social unrest and mass migration, we must plan to secure ourselves for the future.
Shetland is overly dependent on insecure global systems for basic needs such as food and energy. We have the potential to live well with the local resources that we have here in Shetland – we need creative thinking and political will to make our sustainable future a reality
I believe that change must come democratically. That doesn’t just mean elections – we must work to actively engage people on all sorts of decisions that get made. I’m serious about representing the people of the South Mainland and Fair Isle and I’m looking forward to meeting you and hearing your issues – if we’ve not already met!
Why the Scottish Greens?
The Greens are the political voice of a growing movement for social and ecological justice and I’m proud to be standing for election with my cards on the table. It’s a common (and often spoken about) misconception that as a Green I’ll somehow have to “toe the party line”. In fact, the Greens have no party whip system and having a Green councillor means that Shetland would get the best of both worlds – on the one hand having a representative that’s free to put Shetland’s needs first, and on the other, a councillor that’s closely connected with MSPs who can take Shetland’s concerns directly to the heart of Holyrood.
Our Shetland Manifesto
Our local manifesto “For a Greener, Fairer Council” is the result of an open-source process that was contributed to by almost 100 Shetlanders. As Shetland Green candidates we’re proud to be standing for election on the basis of these policies.
Please make your first preference vote Green on 5th May
Read the Shetland Greens Manifesto 2022 here.
Contact Information
Email: alexjarmitage@gmail.com
Facebook: Alexander J Armitage
Twitter: @alexjarmitage
Instagram: @alexjarmitage
Address: Jorvik, Bigton, Shetland ZE2 9JA
Return to Local Government election 2022 – candidates list
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