SNP REVEAL CANDIDATES FOR STRONG SCOTTISH BLOCK

SNP REVEAL CANDIDATES FOR STRONG SCOTTISH BLOCK

WE’VE GOT WHAT IT TAKES TO PROTECT SCOTLAND

The SNP today (Sunday) revealed the party’s candidates for the Westminster election campaign with SNP Westminster Group Leader Angus Robertson MP calling on candidates and activists to work tirelessly to elect the strongest possible block of SNP MPs to stand up for Scotland.

Addressing the conference, Mr Robertson will say:

"A strong SNP group will be Scotland’s voice with each MP having what it takes to stand up for Scotland – not lie down for London.

"A strong SNP group will protect Scotland from Labour and Tory plans for deep and dangerous cuts to Scotland’s budget and make sure Scotland’s voice is heard loud and clear in the halls of Westminster.

"A strong SNP group will be the voice of reason at Westminster arguing to scrap Trident and ID Cards and not cut front-line services.

"And a strong SNP group will give Scotland the momentum to drive forward and win the Independence referendum.

"We are supported in our campaigning by a successful and popular Scottish Government and a successful and popular First Minister. We are the largest party in local government. We secured a clear 9 point lead over Labour in the European elections only this summer.

"There are no no-go areas for the SNP – no obstacles we haven’t already overcome.

Speaking to the conference Angus Robertson will say to delegates;

"So raise the money; knock the doors; make the calls; deliver the leaflets And win."

ENDS

Contact: SNP Press: 07720805754

Notes to Editors:

Constituencies and candidates

Constituency	Candidate
Aberdeen North	Joanna Strathdee
Aberdeen South	Mark McDonald
Angus	Mike Weir MP
Airdrie and Shotts	Sophia Coyle
Argyll and Bute	Michael Mackenzie
Banff and Buchan	Eilidh Whiteford
Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk	Paul Wheelhouse
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross	Jean Urquhart
Central Ayrshire	John Mullen
Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill	Frances McGlinchey
Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East	Julie Hepburn
Dumfries and Galloway	Andrew Wood
Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale	Aileen Orr
Dundee East	Stewart Hosie MP
Dundee West	James Barrie
Dunfermline and West Fife	Joe McCall
East Dunbartonshire	Iain White
East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow	John McKenna
East Lothian	Andrew Sharp
East Renfrewshire	Gordon Archer
Edinburgh East	George Kerevan
Edinburgh North and Leith	Calum Cashley
Edinburgh South	Sandy Howat
Edinburgh South West	Kaukab Stewart
Edinburgh West	Sheena Cleland
Falkirk	John McNally
Glasgow Central	Osama Saeed
Glasgow East	John Mason MP
Glasgow North	Patrick Grady
Glasgow North East	David Kerr
Glasgow North West	Margaret Park
Glasgow South	Malcolm Fleming
Glasgow South West	Christopher Stephens
Gordon	Richard Thomson
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey	John Finnie
Kilmarnock and Loudoun	George Leslie
Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath	Gavin McClement
Lanark and Hamilton East	Clare Adamson
Linlithgow and East Falkirk	Thomas Smith
Livingston	Elisabeth Bardell
Midlothian	Colin Beattie
Moray	Angus Robertson MP
Motherwell and Wishaw	Marion Fellows
Na h-Eileanan an Iar	Angus MacNeil MP
North Ayrshire and Arran	Patricia Gibson
North East Fife	Rod Campbell
Ochil and South Perthshire	Annabelle Ewing
Orkney and Shetland	John Mowat
Paisley and Renfrewshire North	Margaret MacLaren
Paisley and Renfrewshire South	Andrew Doig
Perth and North Perthshire	Peter Wishart MP
Ross, Skye and Lochaber	Alasdair Stephen
Rutherglen and Hamilton West	Graeme Horne
Stirling	Alison Lindsay
West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine	Dennis Robertson
West Dunbartonshire	Graeme McCormick

Nb. The following are due for confirmation shortly: Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock; Glenrothes; Inverclyde

Selected Candidate profiles

Eilidh Whiteford – Banff and Buchan

Eilidh was born in Aberdeen and grew up in Macduff, Banffshire. She attended Banff Academy and Glasgow University. After post-graduate studies in Scotland and Canada she taught Scottish Literature at Glasgow University and Newbattle Abbey College for a number of years before becoming Co-ordinator of the Scottish Carers’ Alliance, a network of carer, disability and children’s organisations promoting the interests of unpaid family carers. For over six years Eilidh worked for Oxfam as a policy advisor and campaigns manager. In a voluntary capacity Eilidh is a Director of Turning Point Scotland and Jubilee Scotland.

Julie Hepburn – Cumbernauld, Kilsyth & Kirkintilloch East

Julie is a Campaigner and Education Coordinator for an international human rights charity. She has previously worked as a Policy Adviser to the Federation of Small Businesses, the SNP's Policy Unit, and as a Constituency Assistant to John Swinney MSP and Pete Wishart MP. She has an honours degree in Politics and a Masters degree in Policy Studies, both from the University of Edinburgh.

Jim Barrie – Dundee West

Group Convenor of the newly installed SNP administration in Dundee City Council, ending generations of Labour control, Jim was elected in a by-election for the Logie Ward in 2000. He increased his majority in 2003 and won again in 2007, with the SNP returning massive gains under the new voting system. Jim spent 23 years in Government Service as a Radio Officer and Tutor [GCHQ] before which he was a seagoing Radio Officer. He worked closely with all branches of the Armed Forces and Security Services in the UK and overseas. Jim was born and educated in Dundee [Harris Academy] and is married to Janet. They have a son, daughter, and three grandchildren.

George Kerevan – Edinburgh East

George is a journalist and broadcaster. His political and business columns appear weekly in The Scotsman and his television documentaries have been shown on both sides of the Atlantic. He served three terms as a local councillor in Edinburgh and is a former chair of Edinburgh Tourist Board. He also served on the Scottish Enterprise local board for Edinburgh, on the Edinburgh Festival council and founded the Edinburgh Science Festival. Born in Glasgow, he was educated at Kingsridge Secondary, Drumchapel. He studied at Glasgow University, where he gained a first class degree in political economy.

Kaukab Stewart – Edinburgh South West

Kaukab Stewart is the candidate for Edinburgh South West. Previously she has stood as a candidate for Glasgow Anniesland and Edinburgh North and Leith. Kaukab has worked as a primary school teacher for 17 years. Kaukab’s wider interests include equal opportunities, employee relations and education policy. Born in 1967 in Pakistan she came to the U.K aged 5. She was educated at Northampton Girls School and moved to Glasgow to complete her schooling at Bellahouston Academy. She then gained her B. Ed. Hons from Moray House College of Education. Recently she also gained a PGC in Human Resource Management from Napier University.

Osama Saeed – Glasgow Central

Osama is one of Scotland’s foremost peace activists and human rights campaigners. Osama has been listed as one of Scotland’s Top 100 thinkers and opinion formers by the Scotsman newspaper and one of the country’s Brightest and Best by the Sunday Herald. He is a prominent media commentator and has appeared on BBC, SKY, CNN, Al-Jazeera and others. He has had articles published in the Guardian, Sunday Herald, Daily Mail and Scotsman newspapers. He is an alumnus of the US State Departments International Visitor Leadership Program, and one of the American Society for Muslim Advancements Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow. He is currently married with two children.

Malcolm Fleming – Glasgow South

Malcolm was selected as SNP Candidate for Glasgow South in 2007 and since then has met hundreds of people across the constituency. An SNP member since 1994, Malcolm is a specialist in international development and poverty reduction, working in Glasgow city centre as a senior manager for a major international aid agency. Malcolm grew up in Lanarkshire and lives in the Glasgow South constituency. He gained a BSc. (Hons) in Human Geography from the University of Aberdeen, and spent time working for the SNP including a spell as assistant to SNP Leader, Alex Salmond. Malcolm is a board member of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, and the Scottish Fair Trade Forum.

John Finnie – Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey

Leader of the SNP Group on Highland Council John served for 30 years in the Police, the last fourteen as an elected full-time official of the Scottish Police Federation. John Finnie was elected in 2007 as Councillor for Inverness Ness-side. John is a member of the Resources, Housing and Social Work and Gaelic Committees and represents Highland on COSLA. He is also on the Highland Council/ NHS Highland Leadership Board and a Director of Highland Homeless Trust, Eden Court Theatre and the Blàs Festival. John was born in Lochaber and attended Lochaber and Oban High Schools.

Tam Smith – Linlithgow & East Falkirk

Tam was born in Maddiston and educated at the now called Graeme High School in Falkirk. Tam set up a successful business and joined Linlithgow Business Association. He is also a committee member of The Federation of Small Business in West-Lothian. Tam was elected to serve as Councillor for the Linlithgow area in 1997 and served till 2007. He is a very active member in the community as Secretary of Linlithgow Bridge Community Council. Tam is a member of Scottish C.N.D and was chair of the coalition movement against the war in Iraq.

Elisabeth Bardell – Livingston

Local to West Lothian, Lis is from a mining and engineering family. She has always been active in her local community and has two grown up children. Lis currently manages a national project for a Children’s Charity. She studied Law at Edinburgh and Social Policy and Social Work in Bristol. She has worked as a Probation Officer in the drug & alcohol, residential child care, community development, youth work and parenting support fields. Lis has lectured in Social Work and Social Work Management at Edinburgh & Strathclyde Universities and has also taught part-time with The Open University Business School and School of Health & Social Care.

Alasdair Stephen – Ross, Skye Lochaber

Alasdair MacGregor Stephen is the SNP Westminster candidate for Ross, Skye and Lochaber. Alasdair is an architect and a partner in Dualchas Building Design and a director of Hebridean Contemporary Homes. After graduating from Strathclyde University he studied Gaelic at the Sabhal Mor Ostaig on Skye before setting up his own business. He believes that the problems of rural housing can only be solved through a combination of architecture and politics. As well as a passion for architecture, Gaelic and politics, Alasdair has a love of the outdoors, pursuing activites such as hill walking, fishing and sea kayaking. Alasdair is a member of the Saltire Housing Panel.

Dennis Robertson – West Aberdeenshire & Kincardine

Dennis ran for the West Aberdeenshire & Kincardine seat in 2007, coming second, with one of the country’s largest swings to the SNP. Born in Aberdeen, he was educated at the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh after having been registered blind aged 11. Dennis entered into a career in social work in 1979 in Greenock qualifying in 1983. In 1989 Dennis started work for Guide Dogs for the Blind as the Service Development Coordinator for Scotland & Northern Ireland. He now works as a Client Service Manager for one of Scotland’s leading charities in the field of sensory impairment. Dennis is married and has twin daughters aged 16. Mr Q, his sixth guide dog ensures that Dennis gets to where he should be both at work and throughout one of Scotland’s largest Constituencies.

John McKenna - East Kilbride, Strathaven & Lesmahagow

Convenor of the East Kilbride Branch of the SNP, John McKenna, was born in Rutherglen, Glasgow. He now lives in East Kilbride with his wife, Joanna, and two daughters, Ashlene and Kimberly. John stood as a candidate for the SNP at the Local Authority Elections of 2003 and has been Convenor of East Kilbride Branch since January 2008. He has been a fire-fighter for 20 years and is currently Station Commander at Motherwell Fire Station. Having been a public servant for more than 20 years, John is passionate about serving his community and ensuring they get the best possible service from their elected representatives.

Annabelle Ewing – Ochil and South Perthshire

As SNP MP for Perth (2001-2005), Annabelle Ewing earned the reputation as a spirited campaigner on issues such as Hepatitis C compensation, Deepcut, and the Black Watch. In 2005, radical boundary changes saw Annabelle narrowly miss out. A mere 0.7% swing is now required to overcome the 688 Labour majority in this key SNP/ Labour marginal. Daughter of independence champion, Winnie Ewing, Annabelle graduated with EC Law Honours from Glasgow University in 1981. Following post-graduate studies in Bologna and Amsterdam, and 10 years as Brussels-based EC lawyer, Annabelle returned to run a small legal practice in Glasgow before being elected. Comrie-based, Annabelle worked for several years for a local development trust and continues to work as a solicitor.