Patrick Harvie

Patrick Harvie (born 18 March 1973) is a Scottish politician who has served as Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights since 2021.

Patrick Harvie was born on 18 March 1973 in Vale of Leven, Dunbartonshire.

He grew up in a very political household, and was taken to Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament demonstrations as a child.

Harvie describes his teenage self as "Awkward, self-conscious, uncomfortable. I was always the small kid in class. Crap at sport. Speccy. Good marks"

Harvie attended Dumbarton Academy from 1984 to 1991.

He then studied at Manchester Metropolitan University, where he was briefly a member of the Labour party.

Before being elected to the Scottish Parliament, Harvie worked within the Gay Men's Project at the sexual health organisation PHACE West, later PHACE Scotland and now part of the Terrence Higgins Trust.

He was initially a youth worker and later as Development Worker for the Lanarkshire Health Board area.

Although this work was principally concerned with HIV prevention, it also involved Harvie in equality campaigning.

Harvie also had a spell as a civil servant, working with the Inland Revenue in Dumbarton.

At a young age, Harvie became involved in politics, having first attended a Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament demo with his mother, while still in a pram.

When he was ten, he told his mother that one day he would become Prime Minister.

During his years at university he was a member of the Labour Party.

Harvie was active in the campaign to repeal Section 2A of the Local Government Act, more commonly known as Section 28.

This campaign was successful, and he has stated that the experience prompted him to become more actively involved in politics, leading to his membership of the Scottish Green Party.

Harvie has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Glasgow region since 2003.

Born in Dunbartonshire, Harvie attended the Manchester Metropolitan University, where he was a member of the Labour Party.

From a young age he was active in politics, having attended a Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament demo, while still in a pram.

Harvie worked for a sexual health organisation, which led him into campaigning for equality.

His experience of campaigning to repeal Section 28, led him to join the Scottish Green Party.

Harvie was elected to the Scottish Parliament in the 2003 election, representing the Glasgow region.

Harvie was elected as MSP for the Glasgow region at the 2003 Scottish Parliament election.

He gained attention both for issues strongly associated with the Greens, such as campaigning against the extension to the M74 motorway in Glasgow and for more 'mainstream' issues such as opposition to the Identity Cards Bill.

He also supported campaigners concerned about the health impacts of tasers.

Quickly after becoming an MSP he caused some controversy by proposing civil partnership legislation in the Scottish Parliament.

Though this legislation was ultimately handled at Westminster and covered the whole UK, the distinctive Scottish proposals helped to stimulate some public debate north of the border, both on the issue of same-sex relationships and on the process known as a Legislative Consent Motion by which the Scottish Parliament allows Westminster to legislate for the whole UK.

When civil partnerships were introduced, Harvie condemned councils who enabled staff not to conduct same-sex civil partnership ceremonies.

Harvie was a member of the Communities Committee of the Scottish Parliament throughout the 2nd Scottish Parliament and served as Scottish Greens Spokesperson for Justice and Communities from 2003 to 2005 and Spokesperson for Justice, Communities, Europe and Constitutional Affairs from 2005 to 2007.

Through his work on the Communities Committee, he worked on the Anti-social behaviour Bill, the Charities Bill and the Housing Bill, as well as on issues of homelessness, debt, the planning system and building standards.

In 2004 Harvie was given the 'One to Watch' award at the annual Scottish Politician of the Year event.

In addition to the Communities portfolio, Harvie covered the Justice portfolio for the Greens, and has been active on a number of civil liberties issues.

He has also been convener of the Cross Party Group (CPG) on Human Rights, and helped to establish a CPG on Sexual Health.

Following the Green Party's disappointing performance in the 2007 election, Harvie was returned with a reduced share of the vote.

He has served as one of two co-leaders of the Scottish Greens since 2008, and is one of the first Green politicians in the UK to serve as a government minister.

In September 2008, Harvie was appointed as male co-convenor of the Scottish Greens, serving alongside Eleanor Scott, Martha Wardrop and Maggie Chapman.

He became the male co-convenor of the Scottish Greens on 22 September 2008 after being the only person to stand for the position, after Robin Harper resigned.

He is the first openly bisexual leader of a political party in the United Kingdom.

In 2019, following a constitutional change in the Green Party, he ran for co-leadership in the August election. He was elected alongside Lorna Slater.

As Slater was not an MSP at the time, Alison Johnstone fulfilled her role within the Scottish Parliament, until May 2021.

In August 2021, after entering a power-sharing agreement with the SNP, Harvie and Slater were both appointed to the Scottish Government as junior ministers, becoming the first Green Party politicians in the UK to serve in government.