Personal Statement

The current operational environment of Conference Committee is one in which key processes have degraded due to a loss of institutional memory, compounded by a culture of siloed information that prevents our Committee of volunteers from fully participating in what should be a collective effort.

To the outside observer, a first-time attendee only finding out they are giving a podium speech the night before, or a clerical error nearly derailing a constitutional vote, might look like negligence or incompetence, but those are not attributes I would ascribe to the Clifton Terrace team. The problem is not the people, it is the system.

I have been a member of the Committee for seventeen years. I can remember when things used to work better. However, my approach is not rooted in nostalgia, but in innovation. Our Committee must adopt a methodology for project delivery beyond ad-hoc email threads and infrequent Teams meetings.

Those of you who have seen me at Conference know that I work hard, but it will take more than hard work to change the culture of our Committee. That's why this time, I am asking for your vote not only to send me back to the Committee, but to lead it.

You can read more about my blueprint for change below, but this isn't the only reason I want the job. Unlike the Conferences of other parties, ours is not merely a place for networking or media showcases. Our Conference is special and sovereign. It would be an honour to be entrusted with it.

I am happy to answer queries by email at ross@stalker.email - or you can text me at 07812493355 to arrange a call.

What skills/experience will you bring to the role?

"I know from working with Ross that his approach will deliver the professional, well-run Conference our members deserve. His experience and expertise make him the right choice for Convener." - Susan Murray, MP for Mid Dunbartonshire

✔️ 32 CONFERENCES' EXPERIENCE
 I am the Committee's longest-serving directly elected member. From my appointment as youth rep half a lifetime ago through to serving as a Vice-Convener, my focus has been on playing a real part in making Conference happen. In recent years I've been most visible as a debate chair, but my more extensive work behind the scenes has given me practical experience in every part of the Conference pipeline. Of course, I have particular passions - some of the most engaging policy debates at Scottish Conference have only happened because I went above and beyond in working with members on motion drafting - but my experience is broad.

✔️ FORMER PARTY STAFF
 I have worked at Clifton Terrace and I was employed as a Campaign Organiser for several years. I want to significantly change the way the Committee works, but in doing so I will always respect time and the unique position of our staff, because I have been in their shoes. As a Campaign Organiser, I was managed by elected volunteers. Having been on the other side of that relationship, I have a unique insight into how to lead our staff fairly and support them effectively.

As I will cover in the next section, the way we work at the moment is not fair on our staff, and it is not fair on the Committee of volunteers who find themselves unable to help shoulder some of the work. The changes that I want to see are not just about raising the standards of Conference, they are about making the work of delivering Conference easier and more sustainable for our staff and volunteers.

✔️ EXPERT IN PROCEDURE
 A key responsibility of the Convener is to be the primary advisor on Standing Orders and processes. As the architect of the new Standing Orders that took effect in Glasgow, I am uniquely qualified for this role. In delivering that complex reform, I also demonstrated that I can lead and deliver the kind of systemic change our Conference now needs. I will bring that same zeal for improving how we work on the Conference floor to the Committee's operations behind the scenes.

What do you hope to achieve if elected?

1. Deliver a Comprehensive Conference Operations Manual

My primary goal is to transition Conference Committee from a culture of ad-hoc email chains and reactive firefighting to one of proactive, professional delivery. An Operations Manual is not just a document, it is the foundation for a new way of working. In most public and private sector organisations, for a large and intricate collaborative project such as our Conference, a comprehensive and current Operations Manual would already be mandatory.

Procedural decay is having a real, negative impact on the Conference experience. Its causes would all be addressed by an Operations Manual, provided that it is comprehensive enough for Conference staff and the Committee to structure the majority of their work around its deliverables. It will:
  • strengthen institutional memory, codifying any procedure that is beneficial to codify.
  • provide clear, standard workflows and templates, eliminating guesswork and preventing errors.
  • serve as the single source of truth for staff and volunteers, facilitating genuine teamwork.
  • enable us to move beyond e-mail chains and meetings - a modern Operations Manual is not simply a book, but a dynamic knowledge base that can integrate with powerful project management software.

Unlike the Standing Orders, this would not be a prescriptive set of rules, but a practical combination of best practice guidance and working principles.

2. From Reactive Feedback to Proactive Consultation

I promised Conference that the new Standing Orders would not stagnate as the previous ones did, and so I will launch a proactive consultation process on how we run Conference, going beyond simple post-event surveys. This will be a genuine, collaborative effort to listen to members' ideas for improvement and of course will not be limited to just the technicalities of the Standing Orders themselves. This process will ensure our Conference continuously evolves to meet the needs of our members.

3. Champion a "Members First" Culture

As the party looks towards having increased influence at Holyrood, the utility of Conference as our face for the media will naturally become a more pressing concern. However, I will never forget that its primary purpose is to serve as the democratic heart of our party and a place for membership development. Therefore, I will:
  • defend and extend participation-widening initiatives like Pay What You Can registration and seek out venues that are both affordable and accessible.
  • always champion the policy-making role of member-led debate at Conference, not just in principle but in practice.
  • ensure that external optics are considered, but are always secondary to delivering a valuable, substantive, and engaging experience for our members.