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Roza Salih: the SNP’s left flank
Niall Christie speaks to ROZA SALIH about how her candidacy could help push Scotland’s ruling party in a socialist direction

NICOLA STURGEON doesn’t often find herself in second place. Since taking over as First Minister in 2014 she has led the SNP — according to my count — to victory in six consecutive elections, and has been a sitting MSP since 1999.

But heading into next week’s Scottish Parliamentary elections, there is one candidate who finds themselves ahead of the SNP leader — her party colleague and the lead list candidate for Glasgow, Roza Salih.

Since arriving in Scotland from Kurdistan as a child, Salih — now 31 — has made a name for herself as a strident defender of human rights and socialist values. While still a pupil, Salih was one of the well-known Glasgow Girls, who lobbied to stop the UK government carrying out dawn raids after seeing a schoolmate detained by the Home Office.

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