John Mainland grew up in Kirkcaldy and again lives in the town. He is looking forward to the opportunity to again stand in the area he knows best.
John was a pupil at Capshard Primary (then Kirkcaldy High School) before studying at Dundee University.. He graduated in 1994 with a Combined Honours MA in Politics, Social Policy and Management. He then worked in the Westminster Parliament for Jim Wallace, who was Scottish Liberal Democrat Leader at the time.
Returning to Scotland in 1996 he has worked amongst others for a telecommunications company and in banking. For the last six years John has been working for the City of Edinburgh Council and is a Housing Officer. Last year he graduated from Heriot-Watt University with a Post Graduate Diploma in Housing which he completed part-time.
John joined the Kirkcaldy local party in 1988 when the Scottish Liberal Democrats were formed and contested the Westminster Parliamentary election for Kirkcaldy in 1997 and the first Scottish Parliamentary elections in 1999. He also stood against Gordon Brown in 2001 for the Dunfermline East Westminster seat which included much of the Cowdenbeath end of the constituency. Having twice served on the Scottish Liberal Democrats Executive, he was Chair of the Scottish Young Liberal Democrats from 1990 to 1992. John was a union representative while a member of the Accord union in 2001/02 and is currently a member of the Kirkcaldy North Community Council.
John is married and enjoys among other things eating out, cinema and foreign travel. He has been an avid Raith Rovers fan for more than 20 years and is a Board Member of the Raith Supporters trust. He also contributes to the world's only Raith Rovers radio show on local hospital radio.
