AS the UK gears up for a general election later this year, parties in the Borders are starting their local campaigns with their candidates.

And the Scottish Greens have named their candidate for the Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale seat.

The party announced at an event last month that Dominic Ashmole, a former healthcare technology project manager, would stand to represent the Peeblesshire constituency.

During the announcement of his candidacy at the Scottish Greens South Scotland campaign launch in Tweedbank last month, Mr Ashmole said: “I’m grateful to party members for this new opportunity to represent the Greens.

"When I stood for the council in 2022, our vote share trebled to more than 16 per cent.

"I believe we can build on that momentum and send a serious message to Westminster."

Mr Ashmole, who previously stood for the Greens in both the Holyrood and council elections, was chosen through a ballot of party members across the south of Scotland.

Mr Ashmole will be campaigning for the seat currently held by Conservative MP David Mundell.

A general election is expected to take place towards the end of this year, however, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has until January 28, 2025 to call an election.

Mr Ashmole added: “Many voters have lost faith in the traditional parties. They don’t want a government that blames refugees and abandons climate action. Nor can they support others who continue promoting false hopes and a reckless growth agenda that has undermined the Earth’s capacity to sustain life.

“Greens recognise that to live through these times, we must move beyond a global system that is fuelled by exploitation and consumerism, and controlled by the super-rich.”

During the event in Tweedbank Mr Ashmole was joined by Scottish Greens Co-Leader Patrick Harvie MSP, Maggie Chapman MSP (Justice, Equality, Human Rights and Economy), and Ariane Burgess MSP (Communities, Land Reform, Housing and Rural Affairs).

Mr Ashmole has called on voters to "shock the system".

He said: “Last election, the Conservatives only narrowly beat the SNP here, and voters might assume it’s still a two horse race. But both of those parties have massively lost support since then.

“So I'm asking voters to back a dark, Green horse.

"Let's shock the system that is failing us. Let's make this election about us setting out on a new path. Because we will need to turn to each other as we live through the difficult times the political elites have led us into.

“A vote for the Greens is for the courage to break with the past, to build resilience in our communities, and to face a difficult future with solidarity and compassion.”