Born in Caithness in 1940, Robin Harper was educated in London and Aberdeen. In 1999, he became the first member of the Green Party to be elected to Parliament. He was the sole representative of the Green Party in the Scottish Parliament until 2003, where the party won a further six seats.
As convener of the Scottish Green Party, he has been instrumental in the rising profile of the Green political movement in the UK. His previous career as a teacher – working in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Kenya – has given him deeply-held convictions in both educational and environmental issues, and his cheerful, positive demeanour ensures he is a lively and regular presence in the media.