Scottish Lib Dems announce full list of election candidates

Scottish Liberal Democrats have today announced their full list of candidates standing in May’s election, as party leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said his party is ready to deliver change with fairness at its heart for people in every corner of Scotland.

The full list of Scottish Liberal Democrat candidates can be found here. 

It comes as Alex visits the Edinburgh Food and Drink Academy, newly launched today, previously known as the Edinburgh New Town Cookery School, highlighting his party’s plans to get Scotland moving again and support small businesses.

Alex Cole-Hamilton is contesting Edinburgh North Western, while Willie Rennie is seeking re-election in North East Fife.

Liam McArthur is standing in Orkney, while council leader Emma Macdonald is contesting the Shetland seat for the party.

Jamie Greene is standing in both the Inverclyde constituency and on the West Scotland list.

The party is targeting a number of constituencies to gain including:

• David Green, a former aide to Charles Kennedy, in Caithness, Sutherland and Ross. David has also worked for several years with humanitarian relief organisations.
• Environmental campaigner and councillor Sanne Dijkstra-Downie in Edinburgh Northern. Sanne previously raised money for charities that provide educational opportunities.
• Councillor Andrew Baxter in Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch. Andrew formerly worked as a tour guide and ran his local post office in Kinlochleven for seventeen years.
• Neil Alexander in Inverness and Nairn. Neil has worked in the video games industry for more than eight years, most recently as a games designer.
• Adam Harley in Strathkelvin and Bearsden. Adam worked as an actor for many years before moving over to the charities sector.
• Alan Reid in Argyll & Bute. Alan previously served as the MP for the constituency for over ten years, and as a councillor for the Cowal ward for five years.

Scottish Liberal Democrats are also targeting the regional lists at May's election, with top candidates including:

• Former Chief Executive of Who Cares? Scotland Duncan Dunlop in South Scotland.
• Perthshire councillor and agriculture spokesperson Claire McLaren in Mid Scotland and Fife.
• Aberdeenshire councillor and childcare campaigner Yi-pei Chou Turvey in North East Scotland.
• Mental health counsellor Jane Alliston Pickard in Edinburgh and Lothians East.
• Human rights and Diabetes campaigner Daniel Khan-O'Malley in Glasgow.
• Paul McGarry, who is a housing expert and has worked for youth projects across the country, in Central Scotland and Lothians West.
• Morven-May MacCallum, a local author from the Black Isle, in the Highlands and Islands.

The party are hoping to build on their record-breaking 2024 general election result.

In the Highlands, Scottish Liberal Democrats have won several recent council by-elections, including those in Tain and Fort William within months of each other.

They have also swept to victory in highly contested council by-elections in the central belt, including Craiglockhart/ Fountainbridge in Edinburgh and Bearsden South, with the latter making up part of the Strathkelvin & Bearsden parliamentary seat.

The party is encouraging voters in every corner of the country to use their second, peach-coloured, regional ballot paper to elect a Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP for their area to parliament.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

“Scotland has so much going for it, but right now, people are tired and frustrated.

“They’re staring down the barrel of soaring bills, huge waits for GPs and dentists, the national embarrassment of the ferries fiasco and an education system that just isn’t what it used to be.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats believe that Scotland deserves better than this.

“That’s why we’ve got a realistic plan to help you with the cost of living, to get you the healthcare you need when you need it, to fix our roads and ferries and get Scottish education back to its best.

“Liberal Democrats are winning again, with more councillors, a record number of MPs and more to come.

“At this election, you have two votes. In many constituencies we are on the verge of winning against the SNP but wherever you are, every vote for the Scottish Liberal Democrats on the second peach ballot paper will deliver change with fairness at its heart.”