Biography: Gordon joined the SNP in 1974. The first campaign he participated in was in supporting George Reid – the MP for Clackmannan and East Stirling. Gordon’s first Council election campaign was in May 1977, standing in Polmont– Gordon came within 58 votes of winning the seat. In 2007 Gordon contested the Upper Braes Ward of Falkirk Council and was elected. The Upper Braes Ward is the largest geographical ward in Falkirk Council, covering both urban and rural areas. Gordon was re-elected in 2012 and 2017 – retiring in 2022. Gordon was the Education spokesperson for the SNP council group during the session from 2012 to 2017 and Housing Portfolio holder from 2017-2020. At the local level, Gordon has been a constituency chair, branch convener, secretary, organiser and political education officer.
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Biography: I have believed in an Independent Scotland since I was a teenager and have been a party member for a very long time.
Biography:
My interest in politics was first sparked when I walked with my Gran to her local polling station to vote in the 2014 Independence Referendum. She told me that her vote was for my future and the future generations of Scots. When we arrived, she handed me her ballot and the pencil and told me to cross ‘Yes’. I was too young to understand the event at the time, but since then, I have firmly believed in Scottish Independence and its many benefits for young people.
I recently joined the SNP after serving as the Pupil Representative on Falkirk Council’s Education, Children & Young People Executive. In that position, I became involved in tackling local issues being faced, especially by young people. I chose the SNP because not only are they the only party that can deliver Independence, but they’re the only party with a plan which will deliver for the youth of Scotland.
Biography: Robin has spent a lifetime in public service as an accountant in local government for 30 years, with 17 as a Director of Finance and 7 years as a civil servant working as a statistician. His interests are mountaineering, cycling, rugby, and economics.
Biography: I joined the SNP in 2014, at the end of my journey as an ‘Undecided’ voter in the Referendum. I am currently the Womens and Equalities Officer for the Braes branch and have actively been involved in various roles within the Executive. I was the Chair of the SNP BAME Network for two years, which is an affiliate group, representing ethnic minority SNP members, promoting anti-racism and race equality within the Party.
I found my voice through volunteering, advocating, and academia, which gave me the confidence and ability to be the first, female BAME candidate for Falkirk District SNP in 2017. I believe in practising what I preach, which is why I chose to study for an MSc in Education, Public Policy, and Equity to become a policymaker. As a student and simultaneously a small business owner and then parent, my awareness of adverse experiences influenced my roles. The challenges of discrimination, poverty, mental health, and abuse have taught me to be perceptive, result-driven, and empathetic. Through these circumstances, I set up and established a local charity, Al Masaar, which means ‘Path to Progression’, to actively instil my vision of overcoming socio-economic and cultural barriers and stigma for the most vulnerable to have a better quality of life. My vision is for an independent Scotland, with visible fairness, justice and equity at its heart.
Biography: Up until recently, I had been Branch Convenor, on & off, since just before the Council Elections of 2017, having joined the SNP, like thousands of others, in the days of disappointment after the 2014 Referendum. Initially being an ordinary Member of the Braes Branch, before becoming a Member of the Committee.
Having served Twelve years in the Armed Forces, I hadn’t really taken an interest in Politics, although I did and still do believe in the basic Socialist values of fairness and equality. The campaign for Independence changed that, and triggered a sound belief in me, that as an Independent Country, Scotland could do much better than it was being allowed to do without the shackles of Westminster hampering our ambition to become a progressive Nation, I mean we Scots have been punching above our weight for the last 300 years, modernising the Rest of the World.
It has been a really enjoyable experience meeting like-minded folks talking about our shared vision for Scotland, but the challenge is speaking to those that are not so like-minded and trying to persuade them to see the benefits an Independent Scotland could bring to our fellow citizens and also the wider Global Audience, as people are waking up to the imbalance and self-centric power that Westminster wields between England and the other devolved Nations.
Soar Alba
Biography: 66, married, and have 2 sons. Lives in Polmont. Joined the SNP at 14, elected to represent Lower Braes (Ward 8) in 2021. Member of the Planning, Audit (Internal and External) & Scrutiny committee.
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