Iris Duane: A politics of hope

People can be shocked into becoming political, others are drawn to its everchanging nature, but for some the political is inescapable, it simply enters their lives through existence. Raw, intricate and authentic it often leads to a combination where the political and self cannot exist without one another.

Something so genuine, in a world of performance, is often easy to spot. You simply just have to listen. As the hustle and bustle of a busy weekday in Glasgow passed by, Iris Duane sat down, smiled and began to speak. Aged 22 and possessing a soft northern English accent, Iris speaks with definitive clarity, something which comes from a merging of the political and self.

Growing up in Bradford, with a single mother aged 18, Iris speaks of how her upbringing simply forced politics to enter her life. “I didn't get involved in politics, politics got involved in me, everything is political,” she says. Her upbringing and being a black transgender woman made her believe that “anyone’s immutable characteristics should not hold them back from reaching their full potential,” she says.

As Iris prepares for the Scottish Green Party selection process, ahead of the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections, she sat down to discuss her journey, the politics of now and the politics of tomorrow.

Iris’ journey to finding the Green Party was a natural one, she openly labels herself a socialist and attributes her decision to join the party came from her lived experiences. “Being born into a council house, you can imagine it wasn’t the easiest of rides, me and my mum had to work incredibly hard to push ourselves forward,” Iris says. She adds, “I understand very deeply that those at the bottom are often just thrown the crumbs, whilst politics often surrounds the upper and middle classes.”

Despite the Green Party being widely representative of her views, it is apparent Iris sees the party as the way to advance the lives of people who grew up in similar circumstances. “The Green Party can be that vehicle for change, it is not simply about trimming the fat off harmful policies, but fundamentally changing the system and ensuring nobody falls through the cracks,” she says.

Iris’ bid to be selected for the Greens in 2026 is not her first experience of front-line politics, last year she contested the Glasgow North seat in the 2024 general election. When asked about her experiences during this campaign she says, “I learned that my drive was more subconscious than I thought it was, even when I thought I burnt myself out, there was still fire in there to keep going out.”

“I've always been a little firecracker, but of course, there were many situations in that general election where I was presented with essentially danger and individuals who want to harm me because of who I am,” she says. When making this point, Iris referred to both Dianne Abbott and Zarah Sultana, who are among the two most abused politicians in the country. She says, “Being a person of colour and being in the political sphere we are in, it was always going to come my way.”

Moments like this are impactful and revealing, you begin to understand just how the political has entered Iris’ life. Her existence as a woman of colour means she simply has to prepare herself to expect abuse, it lifts the veil on the level of racism that is still prevalent across large parts of society. This is of course not just an issue that impacts front-line politics, but it is perhaps one that shapes the political self and Iris appeared even more determined and resolute as she spoke about her personal experiences.

Iris attributes much of this resolve to her mother, “I did have a black mother, so this is where this lesson will come from, feeling sorry for yourself will not fix it, you've got to go out there and change things because if you don't who will,” she says.

Her mum’s lesson was further evidence of this merging of the political and self, this raw form of politics that is impossible to imitate. It seemed to inspire much of what she spoke about, especially as we began to discuss the recent Supreme Court decision, concerning trans rights.  

“It was a very difficult week because I'm somewhat a public figure, but I am also still a person, so after we lost trying to promote that message of hope was hard, especially when you feel like you're losing it yourself, it was quite difficult,” she says. Iris adds, “I had to take some time off work and just kind of recalibrate what my priorities are and how we get there.”

Words such as these make you feel the deep personal impact of decisions like the one reached by the Supreme Court; you can see the person behind the soundbites and headlines. After describing the way she wrestled with her struggles throughout that week, it was the words ‘how we get there’ that shifted the narrative – to one of hope.

“Our community is incredibly strong and we’re not giving up on each other, we’re standing arm in arm, doing what we can to make things better and that is when I felt you just have to keep going,” she says.  She adds, “Things can change so quickly, it has barely been 50 years since being gay was legalised in England and Wales and look where we are now.”

The question of how we get there is of course much more challenging. Iris was quick to say that having trans people or allies of trans people in power is particularly important, but her thoughts shifted quickly to the younger generations. “We need to be out there, in the streets, being loud, we need to be supporting queer youth, who often can be isolated for their communities, and we need to be showing that this is just life,” she says.

Much of the hope and inspiration that Iris speaks about, she attributes to those who came before her and how they have made it much easier for her generation. She says, “I get to sit here and have this interview with you right now, I get to walk the street without being stigmatised, I get to go where I want, all because thousands and thousands of activists fought for decades.”

Taking inspiration from all that came before her, Iris went on to say something, so very poignant, so very powerful, and so very personal. “It is all about, planting the seed of a tree for the shade that I will never sit under,” she says. Taken from an old Greek proverb the quote relates to the growth of society as people create change that they will never benefit from.

It was entirely expected, yet unexpected. In many ways, it fits the conversation perfectly, and it reflects the attitude of those who have forged the change that we see represented in society today. On the other hand, you realise this is someone whose political career is just beginning, and the weight of the sentiment does not reflect that of a young politician. Then you stop and acknowledge that this is how people who have had to battle the political throughout their lives think, they realise that ‘you've got to go out there and change things because if you don't, who will.’

This way of thinking even dictates Iris’ ability to remove herself from politics. “I don’t particularly ever switch off from politics, because it’s just me being me and somehow it has found its way into mainstream politics,” she says. She adds, “I get why some politicians do, but if you are making decisions that plunge millions of children into poverty, I don’t really think you should be going home at five o’clock with a smile on your face.”

Iris’ way of thinking about politics is simply impossible to imitate; the way she speaks about her life experiences and transforms it into activism is politics in its rawest and purest form. Whether success follows in her upcoming selection contest, or not. It will be hard to imagine a world where Iris Duane does not continue to ‘plant the seed of a tree for the shade she will never sit under.’