I’m not a career politician.

Full statement

I spent years as a diplomat, working across four continents in three languages. I always put in the hours behind the scenes to do the job properly. That’s the same commitment I’d bring to representing this area. And then, home called. We came back. And after working for our country overseas, I want to represent our home in Holyrood.

My politics is rooted in my faith and community. I helped set up our church’s food bank, campaigned for affordable housing as a community organiser (we secured 115 co-op homes), and volunteered in a night shelter. One guest asked to be woken at 5am to get to work. That stuck with me. A job—and still homeless. That crystallised a lot.

And with Labour, the clue’s in the name. Work should be fair and dignified. That’s why I’m proud the UK Labour Government is pushing the Employment Rights Bill.

But Labour’s also the party of social justice. I don’t want to just patch things up with food banks and shelters. I want to build a society where they’re not needed in the first place. Like every member, I want to make those things unnecessary.

As a Cooperative Party member too, I believe in real community power. From energy to land, we should be expanding community ownership—and making sure community benefit is felt widely and fairly.