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The first Green MSP in the Scottish Parliament, Robin Harper has
been involved in the Parliament since the beginning. However,
his own political career did not begin in Green politics. He has
been politically engaged for as long as he can remember, but his
early years were spent in the Liberals, as secretary of the
university Liberal Club. He almost stood for election for the
Liberals during this period, thwarted only by the overlap between
the campaign period and his exam timetable. However at the
beginning of his teaching career as a History and Modern Studies
teacher, he felt that not belonging to a political party was of
benefit to him in terms of objectivity. An "issue voter", he
has voted for both Labour and Liberal candidates over the years,
and although he doesn't recall ever voting Conservative, he
"certainly would have if the Conservative had been the best
candidate."
Inspired by Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring" which he read in the
early 1970s, Robin developed a keen concern for the
environment. He became involved in the production of a short
film with students at Edinburgh University for which he provided
the music and it was, in fact, his musical connections which later
drew him closer to reconciling his interests in politics and the
environment. Following a chance encounter in 1985 with a
former guitar pupil (now a professor of Environmental Studies at
Kingston University, Jamaica) who gave him a pamphlet for the
fledgling Green Party, Robin realised that a connection between the
environment and politics was possible. However, he just
tucked the pamphlet away in his pocket, next to the leaflets he had
been carrying around for Friends of the Earth Scotland and
Greenpeace.
Robin vividly remembers the turning point for him. Whilst
on holiday in Germany in July later that year, news broke of the
sinking of the Greenpeace ship "Rainbow Warrior" at Auckland, New
Zealand. He remembers thinking, "there's good guys and bad guys out
there - and I want to be on the side of the good guys".
Immediately sending off all three application forms, the Green
Party was the first to respond and he went along to an Edinburgh
meeting. A self-confessed "bit of an organiser", Robin was
asked at his first meeting whether he would be willing to head up
the Edinburgh branch, and the rest is history!
Displaying a level of involvement in Cross Party Groups far
surpassing the average MSP, Robin is quick to clarify he does not
have a large role in all 26 cross-party groups of which he is a
member, although he is deputy convenor or convenor of seven groups.
Despite this modesty, his enthusiasm particularly for issues
relating to the environment and children and young people shines
through.
When asked how his previous jobs have influenced his career as
an MSP, the connections are obvious. A brief spell as an
actor in his early years proved invaluable to his future career
plans, and he credits this time as crucial in helping him develop a
confident public presence and skills "to work the audiences".
His long career as a teacher permeates his political
interests. A passion to "do more for young people" comes
through strongly at several points during the interview. When
asked about the UK and Scottish Governments' commitments to
eradicating child poverty, Robin is keen to stress that his
definition of "poverty" goes beyond the narrowly defined monetary
and material definitions used to benchmark current child poverty
targets: "Deprivation in other ways, in terms of play, music…
poverty of ambition, poverty of wellbeing in the wider sense" are
all areas in which he believes the lives of children must be
improved. Which is why, when asked what legislation he would
pass if he had one wish, Robin recognises that his "raft of
legislation" providing the range of opportunities to counteract
this wider definition of "poverty" and to ensuring that every child
is given the care, love, and attention it deserves would be
ambitious, but vital.
A member of the Scottish Episcopal Church, Robin was brought up
in the Church of England and now describes himself as "happily
ecumenical". He has, however, a pragmatic attitude towards
the relationship between his faith and politics; he clearly values
his personal faith, but identifies a potentially "dangerous"
reluctance within churches to debate and consider other viewpoints.
Citing the openness of debate seen in the Early Church, he
expressed his concern about the perceived reluctance within
churches to debate and change themselves, so while he embraces the
role played by churches in the political sphere, he emphasises a
need for politicians to be able to sit down with those of all
faiths and none, and to be prepared to engage actively in moral
discussions. Robin's personal faith is firmly based on the premise
that living out ones beliefs involves a responsibility in the
present. Referring to the famous speech in Shakespeare's
"Julius Caesar" in which the character of Mark Antony asserts
that:
"The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones";
Robin is not so sure. The life one leads now, he believes,
is the legacy left for others; and therefore he believes it is
"much more important to behave responsibly now" to leave a positive
and lasting legacy, rather than focusing on living for life after
death.
It is clear that he does not shy away from discussing issues
which others would consider controversial. Having struggled briefly
with depression during his university career, he is all too aware
of the stigma of mental health, seeing it as the last 'big issue'
that nobody wants to discuss. During his spells as Rector of
Aberdeen and Edinburgh universities, he was always keen to mention
mental health in all of his public addresses to students,
encouraging them to have "a positive attitude to mental health"
despite what others may have thought about exposing young students
to an issue considered taboo in Scottish society.
His focus on the importance of discussion and debate is clear
when asked about his opinion on two issues currently on the
political horizon at Holyrood: same-sex marriage and assisted
dying. His response to questions about both of these subjects
is almost identical: "It is vital that this is debated".
As a significant plank in the Greens' policy, it is unsurprising
that Robin speaks passionately about the subject of climate change
and environmental responsibility; but this passion is not
translated into unqualified enthusiasm for the forthcoming Climate
Change (Scotland) Bill, currently making its way through the
Parliament. That the provisions of the Bill are written down
is "neither here nor there", and although it would be wonderful for
Scotland to boast of the most comprehensive climate change
legislation in the world, this will be irrelevant if the provisions
aren't translated into action. It is of deep concern and
regret that he sees no evidence of either Government at Holyrood or
Westminster placing climate change at the centre of all of their
policies which is where he argues it needs to be for real action to
be taken to tackle the problem.
"Perseverance. If you've got something you want to do, never
give up". These were Robin Harper's words of advice he would like
to pass on to others, and his own experiences certainly seem to
reflect a sense of commitment, passion and endurance. From
his early years as a long distance runner, "I didn't win many races
but I enjoyed running; but it's that attitude of getting your head
down and just pushing as hard as you can", to finally winning a
seat in the first Scottish Parliament after 11 failed attempts at
election; Robin Harper is justified when he says "I can look back
with satisfaction".