GREEN MEP for the South West, Molly Scott Cato, celebrated her first year in office by hitting the stage at Glastonbury last weekend.

The Stroud-based economist has just completed her first year as an MEP in Brussels and joined celebrity speakers to talk politics at Worthy Farm.

Speaking at the Left Field on Sunday morning, she discussed the challenges that faced the country over the next five years.

Alongside her were campaigner Charlotte Church, activist Shami Chakrabati and veteran politician Ken Livingstone.

A little more than a year ago, Molly was a Green Party councillor; leader of the Green group on Stroud District Council.

A year later she sits on the Economics Committee of the European Parliament and is a member of the Parliament’s special committee on tax, tasked with proposing measures to prevent tax dodging.

In both roles she has been pushing for measures to clamp down on corporate tax avoidance and change rules on tax to ensure corporations pay their fair share.

During her time in Brussels she has been an critic of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) trade deal and has published two reports in the last year, one on renewable energy and the other how the creation of ‘green money’ can be used to help a transition to a sustainable society During her time at Worthy Farm Molly spoke about the need to challenge capitalism and create a genuinely sustainable economy and society.

“It has been an amazing year for me and I feel immensely privileged to be able to represent the people of the South West in Brussels,” she said.

“Our region has fantastic resources in our skilful people, our beautiful natural environments, our rich soils, and our fabulous potential for renewable energy.

I am immensely grateful to have the opportunity to visit so many inspiring places and people when I come home.

“As someone who has spent most of my life in the South West, I will continue to do all I can in my role as MEP to work to enhance the economy, environment and society of the region we share.”