This is a special episode in the run up to the Scottish Government elections in May 2026, however, it retains relevance for any UK elections, and for engaging with politicians in general. This is one of the most crucial and effective ways to be an Ocean Citizen, and we're really grateful for the knowledge and insight from Rea Cris, Public Affairs Manager for the charity Open Seas.

Rea passionately describes to us how democracy should really be a two way street, and how we can recover some of those conversations to influence what our elected representatives, and candidates who want to be our elected representatives, actually do for us when in office.

We cover how to convey what matters to you to political candidates, Hustings, how the juicy bits of elections really start months before the ballot boxes, and some novel ways of engaging with MPs and MSPs (Members of Scottish Parliament).

Here's a handy website where you can put in your postcode, and it brings up who your political candidates are and how to get in touch with them!

https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/

You can sign the Our Seas petition here: https://www.ourseas.scot/

Mentioned in the podcast are Seawilding - restoring seagrass in Scotland

Thanks to Orla from the Ullapool Sea Savers for her excellent Seagrass facts.

This episode was recorded and edited by Adventurous Audio.

The Our Ocean podcast is brought to you by Seaful, the UK charity dedicated to connecting people to our ocean. To donate, please visit our website.

For more information about Seaful, please visit our Website, Instagram or Facebook. For questions or suggestions, please email us - [email protected].

You can connect with The Our Ocean Podcast's host Cal Major through her Website, Instagram or Facebook.