Youngest ever MSP elected for the Scottish Greens

The Scottish Greens’ Ross Greer has been elected to the Scottish Parliament at the age of 21, making him the youngest ever MSP.

Greer won the seat after topping the Greens party list in the West of Scotland region, the first time the Greens have been represented in the region.

Speaking to BBC News after his win, Greer said: “It’s a really historic night for the party, it looks like.

“We’ve got a couple of regions to come in, but this is the first time we’ve ever elected anyone in the west of Scotland and it’s shown just how much the Greens reach has actually grown in communities that we’re part of where we simply haven’t been before.

“And it’s obviously nice personally to make a little bit of history as the youngest member of the parliament, so we’re ticking a few history boxes here.”

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He recounted how as a sixteen year old at the last election he was one of only six of Greens at the west of Scotland region at the count.

“I was still at school at that point so I got double Physics off in the morning,” he said.

He was a pupil at Bearsden Academy until 2012.

The new MSP was a member of the Scottish Youth Parliament for Clydebank and Milngavie, followed by a stint as communities co-ordinator for Yes Scotland.

Greer also contested the East Dunbartonshire constituency for the Green at the general election last year.

He is the Scottish Greens’ spokesperson on European and External Affairs.

Previously the youngest MSP was Labour’s Mark Griffin, who was elected in 2011 at the age of 25.