1. Patrick Harvie was born on 18 March 1973 and is a Scottish politician who served as Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights from 2021 to 2024.
44 Facts About Patrick Harvie
1. 2.
Patrick Harvie 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.
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Patrick Harvie was elected to the Scottish Parliament in the 2003 election, representing the Glasgow region.
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In September 2008, Patrick Harvie was appointed as male co-convenor of the Scottish Greens, serving alongside Eleanor Scott, Martha Wardrop and Maggie Chapman.
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Patrick Harvie was born on 18 March 1973 in Vale of Leven, Dunbartonshire.
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Patrick Harvie grew up in a very political household, and was taken to Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament demonstrations as a child.
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Patrick Harvie then studied at Manchester Metropolitan University, where he was briefly a member of the Labour Party.
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Patrick Harvie was initially a youth worker and later as Development Worker for the Lanarkshire Health Board area.
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Patrick Harvie had a spell as a civil servant, working with the Inland Revenue in Dumbarton.
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At a young age, Patrick Harvie became involved in politics, having first attended a Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament demo with his mother, while still in a pram.
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Patrick Harvie was active in the campaign to repeal Section 2A of the Local Government Act, more commonly known as Section 28.
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Patrick Harvie was elected as MSP for the Glasgow region at the 2003 Scottish Parliament election.
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Patrick Harvie 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.
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Patrick Harvie supported campaigners concerned about the health impacts of tasers.
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When civil partnerships were introduced, Patrick Harvie condemned councils who enabled staff not to conduct same-sex civil partnership ceremonies.
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Patrick 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.
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In 2004 Patrick Harvie was given the 'One to Watch' award at the annual Scottish Politician of the Year event.
18.
Patrick Harvie 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.
19.
Patrick Harvie is the first openly bisexual leader of a political party in the United Kingdom.
20.
Under this, Patrick Harvie was elected to be convene the Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee, an office he held until 2011.
21.
In 2015, Patrick Harvie witnessed the first same-sex wedding in Scotland, alongside Nicola Sturgeon who officiated it.
22.
Patrick Harvie is a supporter of Scottish independence and voted 'Yes' in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.
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Re-elected in 2016, Patrick Harvie joined the Finance and Constitution Committee and became Scottish Greens Spokesperson for Finance, Economy, Fair Work and Equalities.
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In 2017, Patrick Harvie supported the successful North Kelvin meadow campaign to take over an area of greenspace into community ownership, as part of a wider Green push for land reform.
25.
Patrick Harvie criticised Labour when led by Jeremy Corbyn, calling it "feeble", but nonetheless called for "progressive forces to join together to take on the Tories".
26.
On 30 August 2021, Patrick Harvie was appointed Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights.
27.
Patrick Harvie got into a dispute with Greenpeace, which had recently criticised Nicola Sturgeon.
28.
Patrick Harvie said the organisation did not understand Scottish politics and the SNP's attachment to the oil industry.
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Patrick Harvie supported the Gender Recognition Reform Bill, which would have made it easier for people to change their legal gender in Scotland.
30.
Patrick Harvie told the BBC that he did not see the Cass Review as a valid scientific document as he had "seen far too many criticisms" of it.
31.
Patrick Harvie consulted on a 'New Deal for Tenants' in 2021, which would include rent controls, a right to have a pet and eviction protections.
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In October 2022, Patrick Harvie introduced the Cost of Living Act 2022 to freeze rents and ban evictions in response to the cost of living crisis.
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The next year, Patrick Harvie extended the legislation, but removed the rent freeze in favour of a rent cap.
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Patrick Harvie's measures faced legal challenges by landlords who claimed that the measures breached the European Convention on Human Rights.
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The measures were extended for a final time in September 2023, with Patrick Harvie promising the introduction of permanent rent controls.
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In October 2023, Patrick Harvie began to consult on what these may look like.
37.
In November 2023 Patrick Harvie consulted on proposals to require homeowners and businesses to change how homes are heated.
38.
Patrick Harvie confirmed that all homes will have to meet energy efficiency standards by 2033 and that all homes would need to replace gas boilers by 2045.
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Patrick Harvie has been highly critical of the British monarchy, calling for the monarch to be replaced with a "democratically accountable head of state", as well as describing the Royal Family an "outdated, discredited and totally undemocratic institution".
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Patrick Harvie is bisexual and in 2003 became the first openly bisexual Member of the Scottish Parliament.
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Patrick Harvie is an advocate of open source and free software, and is a Linux user.
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Patrick Harvie was formerly an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society, Honorary Vice-President of the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association and a patron of Parents Enquiry Scotland.
43.
From 2003 until 2007, Patrick Harvie wrote a weekly column in the Scottish edition of the Big Issue.
44.
Patrick Harvie was a candidate in the election for Rector of the University of Glasgow in February 2008.