Personal Statement:

I have lived with my husband, Simon, in Dunbar since 1989. He is a Professor of Landscape Architecture in Edinburgh and Tartu. I am a retired social worker.
 I joined the Party in 1989 and have been an active grassroots campaigner since then. Prior to joining the Party I had leafleted for the Liberals/Liberal Democrats in Penicuik after moving to Scotland in 1981.
 I am a longstanding member of the Conference Committee, having initially been co-opted as the SWLD Rep. I have attended all but one Scottish Conference since 1988 and have been a regular contributor to debates. I have also been a regular attendee and speaker in debates at Federal Conferences since 1999.As a candidate for Westminster and Europe for English constitiencies I have also attended Regional conferences. I have attended a number of ALDE Congresses as a UK delegate.
 I have been a Dunbar Community Councillor since 2000 aside from 2007-12 when I was Councillor for Dunbar&East Linton Ward on East Lothian Council.. I am a member of various other community groups including Belhaven Parish Church, Dunbar and East Linton Health and Wellbeing Group (Chair), Sustaining Dunbar (Director), Dunbar Twinning Association (Committee), Dunbar Community Bakery (Director), Dunbar Day Centre for Older People (Secretary), Dunbar and East Linton Area Partnership.
 I am actively involved in a number of Lib Dem Groups including East Lothian Local Party (Exec),SWLD (Vice Chair), Lib Dem Health and Care Association (Policy Officer), Liberal International British Group Scottish Committee (Exec), ASLDC (Exec), Liberal Democrat Christian Forum (Exec) Liberal Democrat Friends of the Armed Forces (Exec), Liberal Democrat Disability Association.
 My hobbies include travel, tapestry, reading, amateur drama, Simon and I have a house in Latvia.

What skills/experience will you bring to the role?:

I am a longstanding member of Scottish Conference Committee. I have worked with a number of different Conference Convenors. I have also attended Federal and Regional Conferences as well as ALDE Congress for many years which has brought substantial experience of how successful conferences should work.
 I have experience of working together as a Team to plan successful Scottish Conferences in terms of choosing motions for debate, deciding on other speakers and conference items, on trying new ideas like Mini Motions.
 I have experience of Chairing and Aiding debates and have a good knowledge of Standing Orders.
 Conference is an important part of bringing members together to network, for training, to hear key speakers and agree our policies through the motions endorsed by members.
 With the current Conference Convenor standing down I believe my longstanding membership will afford continuity to enable the handover to a new Convenor as we prepare for the Spring Conference in February 2026 which will highlight our policies and key candidates for the Holyrood elections.

What do you hope to achieve if elected?:

I believe Conference is a key way of highlighting our policy messages and promoting our present and future elected members at all levels to the people of Scotland and beyond.
 Conference is a vital way of bringing members together to formulate policies but also to network with each other, for training and to hear from the various groups who hold Fringe meetings and hold stalls. It is a way for Party organisations to share what they do and to recruit members/fundraise.
 During my time on Conference Committee I have served as part of a Team under a number of different Convenors. Over the years we have tried new venues and different ideas e.g. pay what you can, Mini Motions. We had to devise a new way of working with online conferences during Covid. I would like to be part of a team bringing forward new innovations in the future to ensure that Conference remains meaningful to our membership of all ages and all backgrounds.
 I believe it is important, as a Scottish Conference Committee member, to continue to attend Federal Conference on a regular basis to network with Party members from elsewhere in the Federal Party but also to keep up to date on Policy Development and ideas for our Conferences.
 I hope that as a longstanding member of Conference Committee I can enable the handover to a new Convenor and Committee as we prepare for Spring Conference in 2026 , Holyrood elections in May and beyond over the next few years.