Personal Statement:

I’m standing to be Scotland’s representative on the Federal Policy Committee because I believe the Liberal Democrats are at our best when we combine compassion with competence, bold ideas grounded in evidence and practicality.
My professional background is in public policy and campaigning. I’ve led national teams and shaped advocacy work for major charities, including the Scottish Refugee Council and Diabetes Scotland. I’ve worked with ministers and parliamentarians across both Holyrood and Westminster to turn good ideas into real impact.
In those roles, I’ve challenged cruel asylum policies, stood up to far-right rhetoric, and secured millions in government investment to improve health outcomes. I’ve seen how policy done well can transform lives, and how policy done badly can harm communities.
As the Scottish Liberal Democrats’ Transport Spokesperson, I’ve been focused on practical, green transport solutions that connect people and places. I believe that same practical mindset should guide our UK-wide policy work: ambitious, credible, and consistent with our liberal values.
If elected, I want to strengthen Scotland’s voice in UK policy-making, ensuring that social, and economic issues reflect the experiences of communities across Scotland. I will work to make sure our policies are not only visionary but workable, and that they empower candidates and campaigners to show what makes Liberal Democrats different.
I will bring to the committee a commitment to evidence, collaboration, and delivery, helping ensure our national policies match our values and inspire confidence across the UK. 

What skills/experience will you bring to the role? 

I bring over a decade of experience shaping, analysing, and delivering public policy across Westminster, Holyrood, and the third sector, grounded in Liberal Democrat values of compassion, evidence, and fairness.
As a senior policy professional, I have led national policy and public affairs work for organisations including the Scottish Refugee Council and Diabetes Scotland. I have developed detailed policy positions, negotiated with government departments, and built cross-party alliances to secure real change. My work has included giving evidence to the UK Parliament, leading engagement with ministers in both governments, and coordinating national campaigns that delivered tangible outcomes, including £8.8 million in Scottish Government funding for diabetes technology.
I understand how good policy becomes deliverable reality: through consultation, clarity, and connection to people’s lived experiences. My background gives me a strong grasp of how policy plays out in practice, from health and social care to migration, housing, and local government. I’ve seen how decisions in Westminster and Whitehall shape outcomes across the UK, and how important it is that the Scottish perspective is heard early in policy formation, not as an afterthought.
Within the party, I serve as the Scottish Liberal Democrats’ Transport Spokesperson, holding the SNP to account for their failures on connectivity and public infrastructure. My focus has been developing clear, evidence-based policies for a modern, affordable transport network that supports jobs, climate goals, and communities.
Across all my roles, I’ve built a reputation for being strategic, constructive, and pragmatic, able to work collaboratively, bring forward policy grounded in evidence, and communicate complex ideas clearly.
I also bring direct experience of political campaigning and party organisation, having worked as a Liberal Democrat campaign organiser in North East Fife and Yeovil, and helped deliver successful by-election victories. That experience gives me a deep understanding of how policy must connect with messaging and the realities of campaigning.
If elected, I would bring professional policy expertise, cross-sector understanding, and a strong Scottish voice to the Federal Policy Committee, ensuring our national experience shapes UK-wide Liberal Democrat policy that is credible, distinctive, and true to our values. 

What do you hope to achieve if elected? 

If elected as the Scottish Representative to the Federal Policy Committee, my goal is to ensure Scotland’s voice is embedded at the heart of UK-wide Liberal Democrat policymaking, not as a bolt-on, but as an integral part of shaping our national vision.
Too often, UK-level policy discussions overlook how decisions play out differently across the nations. I want to make sure the Scottish experience, from devolved government realities to rural infrastructure, housing, and health delivery, is reflected in our policy thinking from the start.
I will focus on three priorities:
1. Strengthening the Scottish perspective in federal policy.
I will work to ensure that every major UK policy, from the economy and energy to immigration and climate, considers Scotland’s context and contribution. That means ensuring our policies are flexible, practical, and relevant to all parts of the UK.
2. Making policy work for people, not headlines.
Good policy should be credible, costed, and connected to people’s real lives. I want the FPC to focus on ideas that can be delivered, not just debated. With my background leading campaigns and policy teams in the charity sector, I’ve seen how evidence-based solutions and partnerships achieve results. I will champion policies that make our Liberal Democrat vision both inspiring and achievable.
3. Connecting policy to campaigning.
Policy must strengthen our ability to win elections. I will work to ensure our proposals help local parties and candidates make a persuasive, values-based case on the doorstep. That means clarity, coherence, and consistency, so activists and candidates can speak confidently about what we stand for and how we’ll deliver it.
If elected, I want to bring stability, strategic focus, and Scottish experience to the Federal Policy Committee, ensuring our policies reflect our values of compassion, freedom, and fairness, and that every decision we make helps rebuild trust in liberal, progressive politics across the UK.