Last Updated 12/04/05
Coatbridge, Chryston & Bellshill: Joan Kinloch
Joan Kinloch is from Viewpark. She has been a nursery nurse for 19 years and works in a local nursery.
As a local trade union leader, Joan played a central role in the nursery nurses long battle for a living wage.
This bitter experience of Labour’s callous treatment of low paid workers convinced Joan that the SSP is now the party of working people.
East Kilbride, Strathhaven & Lesmahagow: Cathy Pedersen
Cathy Pedersen is standing down for Rose Gentle (see SSP Press Release)
Lanark & Hamilton East: Dennis Reilly
Dennis Reilly lives in Bothwell. Along with his wife and family, he has been involved in fostering for over 30 years, providing help and support to countless children.
Over the last few years, Dennis has campaigned strongly on range of issues affecting local people including opposing health cuts, challenging the unfair Council Tax and fighting for free school meals and free prescription charges.
Kilmarnock & Loudoun: Hugh Kerr
Hugh Kerr was born and brought up in Kilmarnock. He moved to England in search of work and was a factory worker and lumberjack before becoming a university lecturer. A lifelong trade unionist, Hugh was a Labour councillor and in 1994 became a Labour MEP. He was expelled by Labour in 1998 for his opposition to Labour's cuts in benefits and student grants. He then returned to Scotland to help found the Scottish Socialist Party.
Falkirk : Danny Quinlan
Aged 24, Danny Quinlan is one of Scotland‚s youngest candidates.
He was born and bred in Banknock and works as postal worker in Denny where he is also a union rep.
Danny has been involved in campaigns to save local hospital services in Falkirk. He has also fought to scrap the Council Tax and to challenge local MP, Eric Joyce, over the disastrous war in Iraq.
Airdrie & Shotts: Fraser Coats
Fraser Coates is a 42 year old father of two from Airdrie. For 20 years, he worked in the post office, where he was a union rep.
Fraser has campaigned against closure of the children‚s ward at Monklands Hospital, against landfill sites in Greengairs, and against PPP plans for local schools.
He has also backed striking workers, including firefighters, nursery nurses and low paid civil servants.
Motherwell & Wishaw: Gregor MacEwan
Gregor McEwan is a 26 year old law student who works part time to make ends meet.
Gregor has lived in Motherwell all his life and has campaigned strongly against he unfair Council Tax and in favour of free school meals and free prescription charges.
He was also heavily involved in supporting the nursery nurses during their bitter battle with New Labour for a decent wage.
Cumbernauld, Kilsyth & Kirkintilloch East: Willie O'Neill
Willie O‚Neill is 41 years old and lives in Kilsyth with his partner and two children.
In the last Scottish election, Willie stood down to give his backing to the Stobhill hospital campaigner, who went on to win the seat.
Willie has been at the centre of many campaigns, for example against local school closures, for school buses in Cumbernauld and Kilsyth and for free school meals.
Glasgow Central: Marie Gordon
Maire, 48, lives in Glasgow with her partner and their teenage daughter. She works as a Senior Child Development Team Leader and played a leading role in the Nursery Nurses’ strike of 2004. Working in early years education for almost 28 years, in many of Glasgow’s multi-deprived areas, Maire has much experience of the devastation poverty and social inequality can cause individuals and whole communities.
As a public sector worker, Maire is committed to the fight against New Labour’s theft of workers’ pensions.
Glasgow North West: Anthea Irwin
Anthea lives in Partick and works as a lecturer in Media Analysis at Glasgow Caledonian University, where she is a member of the EIS/ULA union. She played an active role in the Save Our Hospitals campaign, fighting to save maternity services at the Queen Mother’s and opposing cuts and privatisation across the Health Service. Anthea helps co-ordinate the SSP’s women’s network, which encourages women’s more active engagement with political issues and campaigns. She is also a committed campaigner against the war in Iraq.
Glasgow East: George Savage
George is a 47-year-old single parent from Garthamlock. A life long trade unionist (Amicus/MSF), he is currently unemployed. He was active in the anti Poll-Tax and anti-water privatisation campaigns. He opposes war in Iraq and the privatisation of public services by Blair and his big business cronies.
George is appalled at the failure of a two-term Labour government to reverse the widening gap between the rich and poor which the Tories opened during their years in office.
Glasgow North East: Graham Campbell
Graham is ready to challenge New Labour in Scotland’s most ethnically diverse community, with united opposition to poverty and lack of facilities. A committed anti-war campaigner, Graham is also Secretary of Sighthill SCOSS community centre, Chair of the healthy eating, multi-ethnic initiative Food For Thought and is the SSP’s Black & Asian Network convenor.
A GHA tenant, he’s leading Sighthill Save Our Homes’ campaign against high-rise demolition and stock transfer.
Glasgow North: Nick Tarlton
Nick is a 25-year-old postal worker. He volunteers at a youth
project in Maryhill and is involved in campaigning for rights for young workers, including an £8 minimum wage for all. He has been involved in campaigning against the Council Tax, against privatisation and for free, nutritious school meals for every school child in Scotland. Nick is dedicated to exposing New Labour’s lies over the war and campaigning to bring the troops home from Iraq. He is a member of the Communication Workers Union.
Glasgow South West: Keith Baldassara
Keith was elected as the Scottish Socialist Party Councillor for Pollok two years ago. He’s lived in Pollok for 17 years, works for the SSP in the Govan area, and knows the constituency inside out. In many years as a community activist, Keith has campaigned against the Poll Tax and the Council Tax, led battles to save local facilities and fought for tenants’ rights. He plays a significant role in the Justice 4 Gordon Gentle Campaign to bring the troops back from Iraq.
Glasgow South: Ronnie Stevenson
Ronnie has lived in the constituency for 26 years. He has stood for election in the area several times and knows the local services well, having used them for his three children.
Ronnie is a children and families’ social worker in the East End and is the Unison shop stewards’ convenor for over 4000 social work services members. He is committed to the fight to save public sector workers’ pension rights.
He also coaches athletics and is campaigning to improve Glasgow’s athletic provision.
Rutherglen & Hamilton West: Bill Bonnar
Bill has lived in the constituency for most of the last 16 years. A socialist activist of 30 years, he has wide ranging experience in the trade union movement, single issue campaigns and community politics.
A former aid worker in Sudan, he now works as Development Officer for a well-established housing association.
He is a committed campaigner against the war on Iraq and actively opposes Labour’s privatisation of our public services.
Argyll & Bute: Deirdre Henderson
Deirdre lives on the Mull of Kintyre near Campbeltown with her husband and daughter. A former stage manager in the theatre, she now works for a voluntary agency.
She has campaigned long and hard against student poverty, and has been at the forefront of campaigns against health cuts in Argyll and the illegal war in Iraq.
She is currently working to get Argyll & Bute Council to take on the Fairtrade agenda of a fair price for farmers for their goods.
Ross, Skye & Lochaber: Anne McLeod
Anne has been a political activist and socialist for many years and was a founder member of the SSP in the Highlands and Islands. She is a passionate environmental campaigner, with a particular interest in the planned
development of a wide range of renewables with the profits being ploughed back into our communities. Windfarms are not the only option! Anne also helped found the Coalition for Justice not War in the Highlands.
Moray: Norma Anderson
Norma lives in Elgin and is a prominent campaigner against the unfair Council Tax.
Moray has the lowest average wage in Scotland, yet last year had the highest Council Tax rise.
Norma has also been active in campaigns on local housing, nursery provision, and for solutions to the misery caused by local flooding.
Na h-Eileanan an Iar: Joanne Telfer
Joanne is 55 and lives in Carloway. A full time carer, she studied with the Open University, specialising in Environmental Science, and has applied her cutting-edge knowledge to promoting renewable energy with an emphasis on the need for strategic planning and public ownership.
Over the last few years, the Scottish Socialist Party in the Western Isles has sought massive reductions in ferry fairs, via RET, and has spoken out for the poor, the elderly and disabled people.
Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross: Luke Ivory
Luke Ivory, 21, from Brora, spoke at last year’s Mother’s Day rally in support of Caithness General’s maternity unit.
He has actively supported full 24-hour consultant lead cover. He has participated in direct action against GM crop trails at Munlochy, organised opposition to the closure of Hunters of Brora wool mill, and has campaigned for Nigg to be taken into public ownership and used to build wind, wave and tidal turbines.
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey: George MacDonald
George moved to Inverness in 1975 and for the last 30 years has lived and worked in the constituency, currently as a postal worker.
George’s involvement in numerous campaigns - against the illegal war in Iraq, scrap the Council Tax, and for anglers’ and walkers’ rights - saw him elected as Regional Chairperson for the Scottish Socialist Party in the Highlands and Islands in 2004.
Orkney & Shetland: John Aberdein
John is a former herring-fisherman, diver and teacher, now a writer and researcher. He has been active in community and trade union politics for many years.
A former Labour candidate in Orkney & Shetland, John left New Labour in disgust. In 2003 he stood for the SSP in Orkney, winning the highest SSP vote outside of Glasgow. He is passionate about energy issues and believes that massive public investment needs to go into wave and tidal development now.
Edinburgh East: Catriona Grant
Catriona Grant, 35, lives locally in the Old Town of Edinburgh. She is a social worker for the local authority, working with women and children experiencing domestic abuse.
Catriona helped establish the SSP in Edinburgh and has stood for Edinburgh Central, now merged into Edinburgh East, on two occasions.
She is an active UNISON shop steward and as a council tenant is active in the campaign to stop council housing stock transfer in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh South West: Pat Smith
Pat has spent many years campaigning locally against cuts in services and in support of workers in struggle. A former drama teacher, she now works in childcare and is a member of the teachers' union, the EIS.
She is an active member of the Edinburgh Stop the War Coalition and Edinburgh CND, and has been involved in building the Make Poverty History demo in Edinburgh in opposition to this year's G8.
Edinburgh South: Morag Robertson
Morag is 34 and a primary school teacher. She is an EIS union representative at the Midlothian school where she has taught since 1999.
A mother of one, she helps with the running of her local Baby and Toddler Group.
Morag cares deeply about the future of our public services and enthusiastically campaigns against privatisation in education, health and pensions.
Midlothian: Norman Gilfillan
Norman lives and works in Penicuik as a freelance graphic designer and is a well known face on the SSP stall in Penicuik on a Saturday morning.
He is active in SSP campaigns to scrap the Council Tax and end prescription charges.
Norman has campaigned strongly and consistently in opposition to the war and occupation of Iraq.
He was also closely involved in building support for the firefighters and nursery nurses during the course of their disputes.
Edinburgh West: Gary Clark
Gary Clark, 37, lives in South Queensferry having grown up in the West Edinburgh area.
He first got involved in politics 20 years ago and was active in the anti-Poll Tax campaign as secretary of the campaign in Drylaw. He was the founding secretary of the Scottish Socialist Alliance in the Lothian area - the forerunner to the SSP. Gary is a postal worker and a branch official for the postal workers’ union, CWU.
Edinburgh North & Leith: Bill Scott
Bill Scott has been a socialist for over 30 years.
He is also an active trade unionist and has been a shop steward with CPSA, the TGWU and NUJ.
A campaigner on many social justice issues, Bill has worked extensively in the voluntary sector and is the past director of Lothian Anti-Poverty Alliance.
Currently a Parliamentary Researcher for the SSP, Bill lives in Leith with his wife and daughter.
Linlithgow & East Falkirk: Ally Hendry
Ally is 29 and has lived in Bathgate almost all his life. He works in construction as a project manager.
Ally is treasurer of his community council, and has been involved in many local campaigns, including opposing to the changes at St John’s.
He was instrumental in forming the West Lothian Against the War coalition and has organised meetings, vigils and demonstrations to bring troops back from Iraq.
Livingston: Steven Nimmo
Steven lives in Bridgend with his partner and her son, and is currently the chair of Bridgend Food Co-op. He previously worked in the laundry at St John’s hospital where he was a shop steward, then in 2003 was elected SSP Lothians Regional Organiser. Steven has fought against the closures of local factories such as Motorola and Continental and has been active in campaigns to support striking nursery nurses, against the Council Tax and against hospital cuts.
Dunfermline & West Fife: Susan Archibald
Susan has worked as supervisor at Kelty Community Centre for four years. She is also a volunteer for Fife Women’s Technology Centre and is a voluntary youth worker. She has been Disabled Officer for Unison since January 2005, and an active member of Kelty Community Council since September 2004.
A recent lengthy disability discrimination dispute with Fife Council was eventually resolved in the House of Lords, who found in Susan’s favour. She will be campaigning on youth, the NHS, drugs laws, Iraq, disability laws and the minimum wage.
Glenrothes: Morag Balfour
Morag, 31, is the SSP’s Peace and Disarmament spokesperson, Regional Chair of Mid-Scotland & Fife SSP and a member of the Iona Community. She is on the Executive of Scottish CND and is actively involved in Trident Ploughshares. She has taken part in numerous demos against war in Iraq. In her teens, Morag worked with one of the poorest communities in the USA. She has since worked as a support group facilitator for chronic pain sufferers. As well as her anti-nuclear work, Morag is a campaigner against the proposed landfill site at the former Westfield opencast.
Ochil & South Perthshire: Iain Campbell
Iain Campbell lives with his partner in Alva in Hillfoots and works in residential child care.
Like 76 per cent of Scots, Iain believes in redistribution of wealth from the rich to the rest.
Iain opposes low pay, privatisation, nuclear weapons and nuclear power.
He will campaign for the phasing out of fossil fuels and for fast cheap public transport to help combat pollution.
Kirkaldy & Cowdenbeath: Steve West
As a civil servant, Steve will not be paid for the time he takes off to campaign and will have to reapply for his job - unlike millionaire civil service pension butcher Gordon Brown.
Steve has been an active socialist and trade unionist since he was 17, later becoming a Regional Organiser of the civil servants union, PCS, in East London and Anglia.
On moving to Scotland three years ago he joined the SSP, and is currently the PCS Shop Steward in the Kirkcaldy JobCentre.
North East Fife: Jack Ferguson
Jack (21) grew up in North East Fife. He is a history student at St Andrews University and works as a part time carer for older people. He is campaigning for better youth facilities and more support for students.
Jack opposes nuclear weapons in Scotland and the illegal war on Iraq. He believes the Lib Dems have yet to deliver any progress on key local needs like a new school for Newport and Tayport, or the delivery of rail services to Newburgh and St Andrews.
Stirling: Rowland Sheret
Rowland has lived in Stirling for 40 years. For many years chair of the Trades Council, he has long been a local activist.
He helped set up the Raploch Tenants Action Committee and chaired the Stirling, Falkirk and Alloa Miners Support Group during the strike, and currently organises opposition to the war on Iraq.
Rowland is a committed, enthusiastic campaigner for an independent Scottish socialist republic.
Perth & North Perthshire: Philip Stott
Philip was the SSP candidate for the Perth constituency at the 2003 Scottish parliamentary elections. He was a founding member of the SSP and has been an active campaigning socialist for 20 years. He was the Tayside co-ordinator of the anti-poll tax federation which helped to establish a big non-payment campaign including in Perth and across the region.
Philip is a committed campaigner to bring the troops back from Iraq and in defence of public sector workers¹ pensions.
Aberdeen North: John Connan
John Connon, age 49, is a social worker, trade unionist, and activist. He has worked for the Aberdeen Council, primarily in Criminal Justice, for 20 years.
John is member of Unison and the Aberdeen Trades Council. He has led the Aberdeen campaign against Blair¹s illegal war on Iraq, and is also active in Aberdeen¹s Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
He was born in Aberdeen and raised his family here.
Aberdeen South: Donald Munro
Donald lives in the Aberdeen South constituency and works in Aberdeen as a travel agent. He has been active in local
campaigns, such as the successful Save Kincorth Schools campaign, and a supporter of the Save Camphill campaign.
He was involved in the Aberdeen United Against Fascism coalition that was successful is stopping the National Front parading down Union Street on St Andrews Day. Donald is a fully paid up member of the Tartan Army and is a keen golfer.
Banff & Buchan: Steve Will
Steve Will, (46), has lived in Peterhead with his wife and two daughters for 11 years. He now works as a janitor at Peterhead Academy though he previously spent several years in the hotel trade. Steve is active in his trade union, the GMB, serving as a shop steward.
He is an active member of the Buchan Branch of the SSP, serving as branch secretary and also maintaining the branch website that can be found at www.sspbuchan.co.uk
Gordon: Tommy Paterson
Tommy Paterson has lived and worked in the north east for the last twelve years.
A former member of the Labour Party, he is outraged that, after eight years of New Labour, poverty is still one of the main issues facing Scottish people today. The gap between the richest and poorest is wider now than when Blair came to power.
He is passionate about energy issues and believes that massive public investment needs to go into wave and tidal development now for when the oil runs out.
Dundee East: Harvey Duke
Harvey has been an active community and socialist campaigner for the last 20 years. He has lived in Dundee all his life,
currently in the Hilltown area of the city, and works as a community worker. Harvey has recently played a leading role in the successful campaign against the transfer of Dundee’s council housing stock. He has stood as a socialist in a number of elections in Dundee and the north-east of Scotland and was the SSP candidate at the 2001 Westminster election.
Dundee West: Jim McFarlane
Jim McFarlane is 37 years old and has lived in Dundee all that time. He is an admin worker in local govt. He has been an active trade unionist for a number of years and is currently Chair of Dundee City UNISON Branch.
He has provided active solidarity to trade unionists including firefighters, civil servants and Nursery Nurses in recent years. He has been very vocal in defence of public sector workers pension rights that are under attack from New Labour. He has also been outspoken about the war and occupation of Iraq.
Jim has stood for election for the Scottish Socialist Party on a number of occasions, increasing the vote for the SSP each time.
West Aberdeenshire & Kincardine: Lorna Grant
Lorna was brought up in Newmill near Keith in Banffshire. She qualified as a registered nurse from the College of Further Education in Aberdeen and initially worked in psychiatric nursing, caring for patients with Alzheimer’s Condition. She later joined the team at the Intensive Care Unit at ARI before becoming a carer for physically disabled young adults at Margaret Blackwoods in Aberdeen.
Now a grandmother, Lorna is a committed campaigner for an immediate end to the war on Iraq.
Angus: Alan Manley
Alan Manley lives in Carnoustie with his partner Pamela and young family. Alan has worked in the NHS as a psychiatric nurse for 12 years. He is an active member and shop steward for the health workers’ union, UNISON.
Alan has campaigned against the use of private finance schemes in the NHS. Alongside public sector workers across the country, he is currently involved in a battle against New Labour’s plans to attack pension rights for NHS workers.
Dumfrieshire, Clydesdale & Tweedale: Sarah McTavish
Sarah works for South Lanarkshire Social Work Department and is a committed socialist.
She is fighting for a national minimum wage of £8 an hour for all workers, including 16-21 year olds, and will not rest until the basic state pension is raised to £160 per week and linked to earnings. Sarah is opposed to Scotland’s weapons of mass destruction at Faslane naval base on the River Clyde, and wants our troops brought home from Iraq immediately.
Central Ayrshire: Denise Morton
Denise is the branch secretary of the SSP’s Irvine and District branch. She tirelessly campaigned against nuclear weapons throughout the 1980s when she was a CND activist before becoming involved in the voluntary sector as a pre- and after-school childcare worker.
As an SSP activist, Denise campaigns against the war in Iraq and Scotland’s weapons of mass destruction, which can be found at the Faslane naval base on the River Clyde.
Dumfries & Galloway: John Dennis
One of the founding members of the Dumfries Scottish Socialist Party branch, John is a teacher at Dumfries High School and is an EIS trade union activist.
He has been politically active for 35 years and was co-ordinator of the Dumfries & Galloway Anti-Poll Tax Federation from 1989-91. John is married and has two teenage children.
He has twice stood for the SSP in Dumfries, in the 2001 Westminster and 2003 Scottish Parliament elections.
East Lothian: Gary Galbraith
Gary is a registered nurse and is an active trade unionist in Unison. He has stood alongside and supported nursery nurses and firefighters on picket lines and is involved in local health campaigns. Gary previously stood as the SSP council candidate for Haddington in the local elections in 2003. He lives in Haddington, has three children and is married to Cindy. Gary is fighting for every school child in Scotland to be given free, nutritious, school meals.
Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk: Graeme McIver
Graeme was a founding member of Borders Against Education Cuts and Borders Anti-War Coalition, and stood as a council candidate for the Borders Action Group in 2002.
Graeme is married with four children and lives in Galashiels. He was candidate for Roxburgh and Berwickshire in the 2003 Holyrood elections.
Previously an electronics factory worker, he now works as the SSP’s South Scotland regional organiser.
Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock: Murray Steele
Murray stood for the Scottish Socialist Party against New Labour Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson in the 2003 Scottish Parliamentary Elections in Carrick, Cumnock & Doon Valley, and was also a SSP council candidate in Auchenleck.
He works for East Ayrshire Council Benefits Agency and is an active trade unionist in the public service union, Unison.
Murray is opposed to the means testing of benefits and wants to see a basic state pension of £160 a week.
East Dunbartonshire: Pamela Page
Local teacher Pamela Page is a 30 years old Politics Graduate. Brought up in Bishopbriggs, she now lives and works in Kirkintilloch. An anti-war campaigner and community activist Pamela believes the billions spent bombing Iraq would have been better spent saving and improving vital community hospitals like Stobhill.
Paisley & Renfrewshire North: Angela McGregor
Angela is 38 years old and works as a nursery nurse and lives in Renfrewshire.
She believes that Blair’s war in Iraq is an illegal war for oil, not democracy.
Angela is campaigning for the reinstatement of rail, hospitals and schools back into the public sector.
She also wants to see a living minimum wage of £8 an hour for all workers, regardless of age or gender.
East Renfrewshire: Ian Henderson
Ian is 35 and lives in Renfrewshire. He is a social worker who works with young people, and is horrified that rather than being given the opportunity of real employment at home, many of these young people are being sent to fight and die in a war for oil by Blair and Bush.
Ian calls for the killing to stop and the troops to come home now. He also wants to see a living minimum wage of £8 an hour for all workers, regardless of age or gender.
Inverclyde: Davy Landels
Davy lives in Larkfield, Greenock, and is a caseworker for the SSP. A Granda and a long term local activist, Davy has built campaigns for free school meals, against the Council Tax and the anti-war campaign.
He’s been involved in the Rankine Maternity campaign and the fight to stop the downgrading of the IRH.
Davy is also currently researching a book about the Lee Jeans factory occupation.
North Ayrshire & Arran: Colin Turbett
Colin has been an active trade unionist and socialist for most of his adult life, currently chairperson of the North Ayrshire UNISON branch.
Colin has lived on the Isle Of Arran for the past 17 years and as a social worker for 25 years is accutely aware of housing shortages, poverty and deprivation.
Colin believes that a big SSP vote give an impetus to those who will converge on the G8 Summit in July to protest against globalisation and in favour of fair trade, international aid and policies that promote real justice across the globe.
Paisley & Renfrewshire South: Iain Hogg
Iain Hogg is 37, works as an electrician and is a graduate in electronic engineering. For eight years he served as Seedhill’s councillor, before leaving the Labour Party in disgust at the New Labour project, particularly their use of PFI in education - the creeping privatisation of our schools.
As a socialist, he found a home in the SSP, where he is a committed campaigner for public ownership of our railways, schools and hospitals.
West Dunbartonshire: Les Robertson
A founder member of Faslane Peace Camp, Les is an active peace campaigner and trade unionist and has served two prison sentences for making non-violent protests against Trident.
He is a leading figure in the campaign to bring the troops home from Iraq. Les joined local firefighters and nursery nurses on the picket lines. The architect of the SSP’s campaign to retain jobs and services at the Vale of Leven Hospital, Les is also a prominent figure in fight against West Dunbartonshire Council’s school closure programme.