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DeHavilland Information Services Ltd 2015 www.dehavilland.co.uk

INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................... 3

MANIFESTO ....................................................................................................................................................... 4

INTERVIEW WITH STEWART HOSIE MP DEPUTY LEADER OF THE SNP ..................................... 6

KEY PROSPECTIVE PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATES .......................................................................... 8

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The outcome of the UK General Election could be decided in Scotland.

Despite holding less than ten per cent of the 650 seats being contested across the UK in May, the

Scottish National Party (SNP) has seen a surge in support in the wake of the historic Scottish

independence campaign.

The SNP enters the 2015 General Election campaign in a high profile position. Despite only returning

six MPs to Westminster in 2010, the party won a landslide victory at the Scottish Parliament elections

the following year, securing its second term in government at Holyrood, this time with a majority.

Under former leader Alex Salmond, it embarked on a grassroots, nationwide campaign to secure an

independent Scotland.

Whilst the country rejected independence in the September 2014 referendum, the SNP carried

support from nearly half of all Scottish voters on a record turnout. The resonance of the party’s

message was rewarded by a surge in support, which saw membership rise from 25,000 to nearly

100,000. Meanwhile, under new leader and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP has opened up a

huge poll lead over Scottish Labour, threatening many of the latter’s safest seats.

Source: Survation

As 7 May approaches, the SNP has turned its attention to converting this support into strong

electoral gains at Westminster. In addition, Nicola Sturgeon is set to be afforded a national platform

for her party during the televised election debates.

In this briefing, DeHavilland offers an assessment of the SNP’s manifesto process, the key people

forming it and the policy platform the party will present to voters. We also profile ten Prospective

Parliamentary Candidates who could be heading to Westminster if the nationalists, as many are

predicting, emerge as a major new force in Westminster politics.




http://survation.com/

4


Immigration

The SNP is seeking the devolution of immigration powers to Scotland and wishes to introduce a

Canadian-style earned citizenship system, designed to attract highly-skilled immigrants.

Austerity

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has claimed that SNP MPs will use their influence to “put heart back

into Westminster economic policy” and pledged to “lock austerity out of Westminster.”

The SNP would like to introduce similar measures to those in the Scottish Parliament which would

require Westminster budgets and welfare policy to meet more robust equality assessment standards.

This would include restoring the equality impact assessments that the Conservatives scrapped in

2012.

The SNP’s approach to austerity would see an extra £180bn being spent on public services; a 0.5 per

cent increase in real terms.

Jobs

The Living Wage is "a central priority" for those working to fulfil all Scottish government contracts

and the SNP has called for the issue to be devolved.

The party has also called for the introduction of gender quotas on public boards and for the power to

legislate for gender quotas to be devolved. It would also like to see the continuation of the 'small

business bonus' which seeks to eliminate or substantially reduce the tax paid as business rates for

eligible small businesses located in Scotland.

Benefits

The SNP has opposed cuts to in-work benefits and supports moves to extend paternity leave, as well

as to protect policies such as concessionary travel for older Scots. It also wishes to introduce a

maximum combined withdrawal rate for benefits and achieve reforms to the Employment and

Support Allowance and cold weather payments.

Ms Sturgeon stated that in the event of independence, the Scottish Government would increase the

Carer’s Allowance to the same rate as the Jobseeker’s Allowance, restore the cost of living link with

benefits, and abolish the Work Capability Assessment.

Furthermore, she has said: “We are committed to mitigating the harmful effects of Westminster’s

welfare reforms where we can, such as securing the transfer of powers over discretionary housing

payments to the Scottish Government, allowing us to help people struggling with the Bedroom Tax.”




5


The NHS

The SNP oppose further privatisation of the NHS. Commenting on this, Ms Sturgeon has said that

“we would be prepared to vote on matters of English health because that has a direct impact

potential on Scotland's budget.”

"So, if there was a vote in the House of Commons to repeal the privatisation of the health service that

has been seen in England, we would vote for that because that would help to protect Scotland's

budget."

The SNP would also seek to reduce the number of senior managers in the NHS by a quarter at the

next parliament, streamline the work of health boards which include proposed savings of £450m,

and see real terms increases in year-on-year NHS spending.

Energy

As well as opposing nuclear weapons, the SNP is opposed to new nuclear power stations or dumps

in Scotland and has pushed for the removal of Trident submarines from the country.

It has strongly advocated for renewable energy, which is particularly prominent in Scotland, and

forms a central part of the party’s independence plans.

The SNP is also strongly opposed to fracking; a theme commonly featured in candidates’ own

manifestos.

Speaking during the parliamentary passage of the Infrastructure Act, SNP MP Mike Weir, the party's

Westminster Energy Spokesman, said: “We think there should be a moratorium which would mean

that before there could be anything going forward with fracking there would have to be an

assessment to take account of the impacts of exploration on climate change, environment, health and

safety, and the economy.”

Defence

Despite a U-turn in the SNP’s position on NATO membership under Alex Salmond’s leadership in

2012, the party remains committed to unilateral nuclear disarmament. Defeat in the independence

referendum has not quenched the nationalists’ desire to remove the UK’s Trident nuclear deterrent

from Scottish soil. Nicola Sturgeon has gone as far as to say that this would be a red line for any SNP

support for a future Government.

Education

Enjoying fully-devolved control over education policy, the Scottish National Party has put the issue

front and centre in its past campaigns. It has pledged 30 hours of free childcare a week for three and

four-year-olds in Scotland. The party is also committed to its pledge for free university education in

Scotland, a position that could cause tension in any involvement with a UK-wide governing

relationship.




6


The SNP’s deputy leader spoke to DeHavilland

about his role, the process of drafting the party’s manifesto

and its key themes.

Mr Hosie explained that as the deputy leader of the

party, he was responsible for drafting its manifesto

through drawing on support and resources from party

figures, politicians and others.

He said this consisted of staff from the SNP’s

headquarters in Edinburgh, “first class” input from his

fellow SNP politicians and what he described as the

“unique” aspect of the consultation with the party’s

entire membership.

“The ideas are coming from everywhere and the

professional support I need is being provided centrally

by [SNP] headquarters”, Mr Hosie said.

Mr Hosie outlined that input had been received “from

every part of the party”. Following the completion of

the membership consultation, a process of “fine tuning

and polishing” would be undertaken by “senior

politicians” within the party.

He also revealed that the SNP had been meeting with “dozens of external bodies to get their input

and check technical elements”.

There had been over 1,000 responses from the membership consultation that fell within a dozen

different categories, Mr Hosie explained, adding that “most were in line with existing party

thinking”. Sufficient time had allowed during the consultation process for any branch of the SNP

seeking to change party policy to table a motion at the party’s spring conference on 28 and 29 March.

This would be the date for any final policy decisions relating to the manifesto, according to Mr

Hosie.

The leadership of the SNP would collectively sign off the final draft of the manifesto.

Detailing the central themes of the manifesto, Mr Hosie explained that these would consist of an end

to austerity, calling for further powers for Scotland beyond the Smith Commission, rejecting Trident

renewal and a support package for the North Sea oil and gas sector, specifically rolling back the

supplementary charge to the pre-2011 level.

Mr Hosie confirmed that these policies would form the basis of conditions for any SNP support for a

Westminster Government after the General Election.

Elected as deputy leader of the Scottish

National Party in November 2014, Stewart

Hosie has responsibility for producing his

party’s manifesto for the 2015 General Election.

Mr Hosie has served as MP for Dundee East

since 2005 and is his party’s Westminster

Spokesperson on HM Treasury issues. He has

also served as member of the Commons

Treasury Select Committee.




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“Our instinct is that neither [Labour nor the SNP] would want to go down the formal coalition route.

Our judgement is that a confidence and supply arrangement would be the most likely outcome”, he

explained.

However, Mr Hosie was quick to indicate that this view was not intended to pre-judge the outcome

of the General Election, but instead emphasised that the “substantial” poll lead that the SNP held

had over Scottish Labour for the last five months could put the former in a “pivotal position at a UK

level” after May.

The SNP deputy leader expressed the view that it was important to set out his party’s position on

policy and process in advance of polling day, for the sake of transparency.

It was “right and proper” that the UK Civil Service “worked up” the SNP manifesto in terms of

policy and negotiation implications, in line with the same access enjoyed by the Official Opposition

in any other election, Mr Hosie said.

He believed that former First Minister Alex Salmond

would be a “huge asset” to the SNP in Westminster if

he was elected, but reiterated that Nicola Sturgeon

would lead any post-election negotiations for the

party overall.

Mr Hosie indicated that whilst SNP MPs would not

completely reverse their party’s position of abstaining

from votes on English-only issues, they would vote on

issues that would impact on Scotland’s funding

settlement, like the NHS.

Questioned over whether or not the General Election manifesto would contain a commitment to

securing an independent Scotland, Mr Hosie said, “We are very clear that this election is not about

that. It is about forcing Westminster to deliver on the promises that the Scottish people thought that

they had, which is full fiscal autonomy.”

“The Scottish people think that ‘devo max’ is everything except defence and foreign affairs. That is

the bar that has been set. Our job is to make sure that Westminster delivers to that.”

Note - it is expected that the SNP will publish its final manifesto document shortly after its spring conference

on 28 and 29 March 2015.




8


Incumbent MP: Jim McGovern (Lab)

2010 Majority: 7,278

Chris Law is the SNP Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for

Dundee West. The seat has been a Labour stronghold since 1950, but

is a key target seat for the SNP in the upcoming General Election.

Policy interests

Mr Law has a strong interest in Scottish independence and contributed a written submission to the

Smith Commission on devolved powers to Scotland.

Discussing Scottish financial services during the referendum campaign, he said that “the kind of

messages that were being sent out by large institutions were mixed half the time, and at other times

half-truths”.

Beyond Scottish independence, Mr Law has an interest in welfare issues, including disability

funding, due to his own experience of living with a mother who suffered from Multiple Sclerosis.

He has also expressed opposition to nuclear weapons and has stated that “the amount of money

targeted towards the renewal of Trident is abhorrent in this day and age”.

On Westminster’s austerity cuts, he said: “The effect it is having on Dundee has been reflected in the

label “sanction city” and the increasing use of food banks. It is something that people can no longer

tolerate and it something that I will be campaigning against”.

Mr Law has also claimed to consider tax avoidance a “burning issue”, and has attacked “a gross

neglect of all London parties towards tax avoidance”.

In the event of a hung Parliament, Mr Law has ruled out collaboration with the Conservatives, but is

open to working with Labour on an issue-by-issue basis if the party should form a minority

Government.

Political life

Mr Law is an active member of the SNP, and is the political engagement officer and treasurer of his

local branch.

He was a leading Yes campaigner during the Scottish referendum and is the founder of the Spirit of

Independence road tour, which brought its message to communities in a refurbished fire engine,

attracting national and international interest.




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He is also a member of Business for Scotland, a campaign group focused on the economic case for

independence, and a member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

Professional life

The 45-year-old is a local businessman who runs his own company as a financial advisor. In his

youth, Mr Law trained as a French Chef before going to university.

As a student, he started his first business running expeditions to the Himalayas on 1950s

motorcycles.

Personal life

Mr Law boasts a first class degree in Cultural and Social Anthropology.

He has been a motorcyclist since the age of sixteen.

Click here to read DeHavilland’s interview with Chris Law.

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.chrislaw.scot/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChrisLawSNP

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChrisLawSNP

Ashcroft poll (January 2015)

Con 6%

Lab 25%

Lib Dem 3%

SNP 59%

SNP lead Lab by 34%




http://www.dehavilland.co.uk/PoliticalUploads/PPC_Interview_Chris_Law.pdf

http://lordashcroftpolls.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Dundee-West-Jan-15-Full-tables.pdf

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Incumbent MP: Anas Sarwar (Lab)

2010 Majority: 10,551

Alison Thewliss is the SNP Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for

Glasgow Central at the 2015 General Election.

The seat is held by Labour MP Anas Sarwar with a majority of 10,551.

In 2010, the SNP came second in the seat with 5,357 votes.

Policy interests

As a Councillor, Ms Thewliss has campaigned against school closures and service cuts.

She has also criticised Westminster's austerity policies and the effect they have had “on ordinary

people”, which she wishes to change.

She was also an active campaigner during the Scottish Independence Referendum campaign.

Political life

A local councillor since 2012, Ms Thewliss has been a prominent campaigner for her party in the city

for many years. The Guardian quoted her during the 2009 by-election campaign for Glasgow North

East as claiming that voters carrying Labour promotional material had tipped her "a nod and a wink"

as a sign that they supported the nationalists.

She has been an SNP member for nearly half of her life, joining whilst at school and leading the

youth wing around Scotland in 2007. Since 2007, she has been a Glasgow City Councillor for Calton

ward.

She has also supported many election campaigns, including the 2007 Council and Scottish

Parliament elections, the Glasgow East by-election, the 2010 General Election, the 2011 Scottish

Parliament Election, the 2012 Council Elections, the European Elections and the Yes Shettleston

campaign.

Professional life

Ms Thewliss has experience working for the SNP, the Scottish Parliament and the clothing retailer

Next. She was employed by SNP MSP Bruce McFree until 2007, and then went on to become an

Assistant to SNP MSP Bill Kidd from 2008.

Personal life

Hailing from Carluke and having attended the local high school, Ms Thewliss went onto study for an

MA in Politics and International Relations at the University of Aberdeen.




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Outside of politics, Ms Thewliss' interests include football, Formula 1 and shopping. She lists North

by North West, Rear Window and There's Something About Mary among her favourite films, whilst you

are likely to find the works of Ian Rankin, Alex Gray and Christopher Brookmyre on her bookshelf.

She is a mother of two children, one son and one daughter.


Website: http://bellgrovebelle.blogspot.co.uk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alisonthewliss/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/alisonthewliss


Con 5%

Lab 35%

Lib Dem 3%

SNP 45%

SNP lead Lab by 10%





12


Incumbent MP: Margaret Curran (Lab)

2010 Majority: 11,840

Natalie McGarry is the SNP Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for

Glasgow East.

The seat is held by Labour MP Margaret Curran, who won it back

from the SNP with a majority of 11,840 votes in 2010. The SNP came

second with 7,957 votes.

Policy interests

Ms McGarry has been a high-profile SNP voice behind the Yes Scotland referendum campaign, and

comes with a long history of campaigning for the party, including for First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Most notably, she was among the activists, including former Scottish Socialist Party MSP Carolyn

Leckie, who set up Women for Independence in 2012. Explaining the decision, she said: "We came

together because a group of us arrived at the conclusion, individually, that women's voices were

missing from both sides of the referendum debate".

She has written extensively in support of Scottish independence and female participation in the

referendum, and also in support of SNP policies.

Following claims that Britain's most senior civil servant and the Queen’s private secretary had

intervened to ensure the monarch made a pro-Union appeal to the people of Scotland in the final

days of the referendum campaign, Ms McGarry took to Twitter to argue: "When the Queen allows

herself to become a political tool, she undermines the role she has carved out".

Speaking at the SNP's annual conference in 2012, Ms McGarry argued on the losing side of the

NATO debate within the SNP, stating that opposition "is not merely about nuclear weapons" and

calling for the SNP to retain its opposition to NATO membership.

Political life

Ms McGarry is the convener of the SNP’s Glasgow Region Association. As a co-founder of the

Women for Independence group, she has appeared on several current affairs programmes as a

commentator, including the BBC’s Newsnight and STV's Scotland Tonight.

Ms McGarry's profile in the SNP increased when she was selected as the party's candidate for the

2014 Cowdenbeath by-election but failed to win, netting 5,704 votes (28.4 per cent).

She had previously sought selection as an SNP candidate in the 2014 European Parliament election,

but failed.




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Professional life

Ms McGarry currently works as a policy adviser for a third sector organisation.

She has previously worked in Human Resources and as a community officer for unemployed

parents.

Personal life

Ms McGarry was born and raised in Inverkeithing, and studied Law at the University of Aberdeen.

Her mother, Alice McGarry, has been a councillor in Fife since 1986. Her aunt is Tricia Marwick

MSP, the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament.

Ms McGarry grew up in the party, with her earliest memory involving a day out leafleting at the age

of four.

Transcending party lines in her personal life, Ms McGarry has been romantically linked to

Conservative Councillor David Meikle.


Website: http://www.nataliemcgarry.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NatalieForGlasgowEast

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nataliemcgarry


Con 4%

Lab 35%

Lib Dem 1%

SNP 51%

SNP lead Lab by 14%





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Incumbent MP: Ann McKechin (Lab)


Patrick Grady is the SNP Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for

Glasgow North at the 2015 General Election.

The seat is held by Labour MP Ann McKechin with a majority of 3,898

votes. In 2010, the SNP came third in the seat with 3,530 votes, when Mr

Grady was also the candidate.

Policy interests

As a prominent figure within the SNP, Mr Grady is a passionate campaigner for Scottish

independence and it is a central theme in his election campaign.

He has previously campaigned against the closure of community facilities in Glasgow North.

Following the actions of four SNP councillors in burning a copy of the Smith Commission report on

devolved Scottish powers, Mr Grady, as National Secretary of the SNP, said he had made a

complaint to the party's disciplinary committee against the four people involved, and that they

would be suspended until it was heard.

Political life

As the National Secretary of the SNP, it was Mr Grady who took centre stage at the 2014 SNP

conference when he announced that Nicola Sturgeon had been the sole nominee for the leadership.

Since joining the SNP aged 17, he has held a variety of posts in the party, including National

Secretary of the Federation of Student Nationalists, and as served as Convenor of the Glasgow

Kelvin Constituency Association.

He previously stood in the 2010 General Election for the Glasgow North seat as the SNP candidate.

Professional life

Having moved to Glasgow from Inverness in 1997 to study History at Strathclyde University, Mr

Grady has spent time working in both London and Africa as a professional in the charity sector.

Returning to Glasgow in 2007, Mr Grady has also worked as a policy officer in the Scottish

Parliament.

Personal life

Mr Grady studied at Strathclyde University.




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Website: http://www.glasgowsnp.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GradyGlasgowNorth/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/grady_patrick


Con 5%

Lab 33%

Lib Dem 5%

SNP 45%

SNP lead Lab by 12%





16


Incumbent MP: Ian Davidson (Lab)

2010 Majority: 14,671

Chris Stephens is the SNP Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for

Glasgow South West at the 2015 General Election.

Having stood against veteran Scottish Labour MP Ian Davidson in

2010, Mr Stephens came second with 5,192 votes, whilst Mr

Davidson secured a majority of 14,671 votes.

However, polling has indicated that the SNP is in with a fighting chance of gaining the seat in May

2015.

Policy interests

Like many of his SNP colleagues, Mr Stephens is a passionate campaigner for Scottish independence.

In his capacity as a senior UNISON activist, Mr Stephens has campaigned on issues such as disability

and racial discrimination, occupational pension protection, and on equal pay matters.

He believes that membership of a trade union “is more important than ever before”, and has called

for workplace issues and rights to be a part of SNP decisionmaking and policy.

He has also said: “We will organise our new resources to create campaigning units and structures to

play a vital part in communities supporting victims of austerity and so-called welfare reforms,

arguing that a better way of running the economy is possible”.

His European Election statement stated that his priority issues were ending austerity, tackling tax

avoidance and evasion, creating care standards in workers’ rights, and changing procurement

regulations.

He also said: “The Scottish Parliament has been at its best when it has delivered the kind of positive,

progressive changes that have reflected Scotland’s priorities. Now we want to build on that progress

by securing positive change in the EU on key social measures”.

Political life

A trade union activist based in Glasgow, Mr Stephens is the Group Secretary of the SNP's Trade

Union Group.

Having joined the SNP aged 16 years old, he is also a member of the party's National Executive

Committee as well as the Convener of Glasgow Pollok Constituency Association.




17


Mr Stephens has stood in Scottish Parliament elections in Glasgow Pollok in 2007 and 2011, when in

the latter contest he came within 623 votes of taking the seat from former Scottish Labour Leader

Johann Lamont.

He also stood in the 2010 General Election against veteran Labour MP Ian Davidson, and as an SNP

candidate in the 2014 European Elections.

Professional life

Mr Stephens works for Glasgow City Council and has represented workers for the union UNISON

over the last decade.

Personal life

Mr Stephens was raised in Glasgow. He is a proud Patrick Thistle supporter and regularly attends

matches.


Website: http://thegiantstepforward.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChrisforGlasgowSouthWest

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CStephenssnp


Con 4%

Lab 42%

Lib Dem 2%

SNP 48%

SNP lead Lab by 15%





18


Incumbent MP: Sir Malcolm Bruce (Lib Dem)


In January 2015, former First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond was

selected to be the SNP prospective parliamentary candidate for

Gordon at the 2015 General Election.

The seat is currently held by retiring Liberal Democrat MP Sir

Malcolm Bruce with a majority of 6,748 votes. In 2010, the SNP came

third in the seat with 10,827 votes.

Policy interests

During two decades at the summit of Scottish Nationalism, Alex Salmond transformed his party

from a minority group into a major force in UK politics.

Addressing the Scottish Parliament on Burns Day in January 2012, Mr Salmond set out the question

he intended to ask Scottish voters at a referendum in 2014: "Do you agree that Scotland should be an

independent country?"

In keeping with the centrality of this issue to his career, following the 'No' vote in the Scottish

independence referendum on 18 September 2014, Mr Salmond announced that he would not be

seeking nomination as SNP Leader at the party's forthcoming November conference. He had

conceded defeat in the poll early the following day, taking the opportunity to urge Westminster

leaders to pursue a speedy implementation of their campaign promises regarding further

devolution.

During his final party conference as First Minister, his successor Nicola Sturgeon predicted to

delegates that they had had not seen the last of Alex Salmond. Since declaring his candidacy for the

UK General Election, Mr Salmond has set out core tenants of his party’s campaign, including ruling

out demanding a second referendum and calling for full fiscal autonomy for Scotland.

As leader, it is generally agreed that he moderated his left-wing views and adopted a gradualist

approach to independence, agreeing to campaign in favour of Scottish devolution in spite of anger

from some nationalist hardliners.

Mr Salmond has also established himself as standing firmly against foreign conflicts. He bucked a

general trend by opposing the NATO bombing of Serbia in 1999, something he saw as an

“unpardonable folly”, and then united with Plaid Cymru in an attempt to have Tony Blair

impeached for what he saw as misleading the British public over the Iraq War.




19


Political life

As Scotland’s longest-serving First Minister and Leader of the Scottish National Party, Alex Salmond

came the closest to achieving his party’s desire for an independent country. He may have lost the

September 2014 referendum and stood as First Minister, but both he and the SNP have enjoyed a

sensational revival since then.

Mr Salmond was first elected to the House of Commons in 1987 as Member for Banff and Buchanan.

He retained the seat at the 2001 and 2005 General Elections. In 2010 he was succeeded by fellow SNP

member Eilidh Whiteford.

Following the establishment of the devolved Scottish Parliament in 1999, Mr Salmond was elected

MSP for Banff and Buchan, thus simultaneously representing the area as both an MP and MSP. In

2007 he contested and won the East Aberdeenshire constituency.

In 1990 Mr Salmond was elected National Convener for the Scottish National Party (SNP). He helped

increase the SNP’s share of the vote at two General Elections, claiming six seats in the House of

Commons in 1997, and firmly establishing the SNP as Scotland’s second largest party with 35 seats

in the newly-created Scottish Parliament.

He stood down after ten years as leader, with his preferred choice of successor, John Swinney, being

elected to take his place. One year later Mr Salmond stepped down from the Scottish Parliament to

lead the SNP group at Westminster.

In 2004, he returned as leader with Nicola Sturgeon as his deputy, securing a commanding 75 per

cent of the vote. This came as something of a surprise, as he had previously insisted that nothing

would tempt him to return to the leadership. He was quoted as saying: "If nominated I'll decline. If

drafted I'll defer. And if elected I'll resign”.

In his second spell as leader, he has sought to establish a different agenda for the SNP, one that could

impress business leaders. He has even said that it was the social side of Margaret Thatcher’s politics

he objected to in the 1980s, but that he did not mind the economic element so much.

His close partnership with Ms Sturgeon defined his second spell as SNP leader, and it was she who

succeeded him in 2014 as both party leader and First Minister.

Professional life

Mr Salmond’s working life began as an economist for the Government Economic Service, starting as

an Assistant Economist in the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland. After two years,

he moved to the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), where he was an oil economist and later a bank

economist. He spent seven years in total working at RBS.

Before taking up politics as a permanent vocation, he wrote and broadcasted extensively. He

maintained his interest in economics after entering politics full-time, and was for many years a

visiting economics lecturer at Strathclyde University.




20


Personal life

Mr Salmond grew up in a middle-class home in Linlithgow, his parents both working as civil

servants. His father was a devoted nationalist and Mr Salmond later recounted how he had not

really approved of his son taking a place in the House of Commons. He went to the University of St.

Andrews, where he received a joint honours degree in Economics and History.

He and his wife Moira married in 1981, settling in Strichen in Aberdeenshire. When not engaged in

politics, Mr Salmond is a keen sports fan, who follows Hearts enthusiastically. He once wrote, in a

diary for the Independent newspaper, “take away politics and golf, and horse-racing would be my

favourite pastime”.

He has often appeared on Channel 4’s The Morning Line and has also written a horse racing column

for the Scotsman. Mr Salmond likes watching Star Trek and says that his “guilty secret” is his love of

Country and Western music, especially Tammy Wynette.


Website: http://www.snp.org/people/alex-salmond

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlexSalmond/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexsalmond


Con 4%

Lab 42%

Lib Dem 2%

SNP 48%

SNP lead Lab by 17%





21


Incumbent MP: Danny Alexander (Lib Dem)


Drew Hendry is the SNP Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for

Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey at the 2015 General

Election.

The seat has been held by Liberal Democrat MP Danny Alexander

since 2005, including with a majority of 8,765 in 2010. The SNP came

third in the seat in 2010 with 8,803 votes.

Policy interests

Mr Hendry has developed a reputation as someone who can secure cross-party support. Upon his

appointment as Leader of the Highland Council, Mr Hendry stated he was adamant that pro-

independence campaigning would not interfere with the council’s work.

He said: “We have agreed to put the politics aside and concentrate on achieving the best outcomes

for the Highlands… Outside the council chamber I will be campaigning for independence”.

Mr Hendry has campaigned on many issues during his career in local government, including on the

retention of 344 Classroom Assistant posts and the devolution of the Crown Estate, which controls

nearly all of the Highlands’ seabed and foreshore.

He is also responsible for bringing in the living wage for council employees, as well as the

introduction of regional assemblies.

His internal campaign material has called the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey seat a

“step on the road” to independence.

Political life

As a teenager, Mr Hendry joined the SNP as a volunteer, convinced of the need for an independent

Scotland, and then formally joined the party as an adult.

Selected in November 2014, Mr Hendry has been a Councillor for Aird and Loch Ness since 2007,

and has been the Leader of the Highland Council since 2012. He has led the SNP Group on the

Council since 2011.

Professional life

A former Director with a multinational appliances manufacturer, Mr Hendry draws on extensive

experience in retail, from online to shop floor and all the way to senior management.




22


He was previously employed by the Swedish electrical firm Electrolux in Edinburgh, working his

way up to director level, which saw him dealing with a number of European factories. He was also

employed as the company’s Scottish Sales Manager.

He set up a company called Teclan, which provides sales and other support for businesses using the

internet. Clients range from sole traders to large European firms.

He has also been a board member of Cairngorms National Park and is a board member of Highland

Opportunity Limited, a body intended to help small and medium businesses start and grow.

Personal life

Mr Hendry grew up in Edinburgh, and it was the 1979 referendum on whether Scotland should

establish a devolved assembly that sparked his interest in politics.

He spent a lot of time in the Highlands, before moving north with his wife Jackie in 1999, to settle in

Tore on the Black Isle.

He is married and has four children.


Website: http://www.highlandsnp.org/ drewhendry/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CouncillorDrewHendry

Twitter: https://twitter.com/drewhendrysnp


Con 10%

Lab 13%

Lib Dem 21%

SNP 50%

SNP lead Lab by 29%




https://twitter.com/drewhendrysnp


23


Incumbent MP: Frank Roy (Lab)

2010 Majority: 16,806

Marion Fellows is the SNP Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for

Motherwell and Wishaw.

The seat has been held consistently by Labour. In the 2010 General

Election, current MP Frank Roy won with 43 per cent of the vote

share, but current polling has placed the SNP ahead.

Policy interests

As a teacher by profession, Ms Fellows has an interest in Further Education and the opportunities it

provides students and their communities. She has also been actively involved in the Yes Scotland

campaign for independence.

Upon her selection, Ms Fellows stated that she stood for an end to "policies of austerity, a fair

welfare system and an end to Trident".

Currently a councillor on North Lanarkshire Council, Ms Fellows has called for compensation for

local businesses following the upheaval caused by road works in the town centre of Wishaw.

She said: “The measures taken by North Lanarkshire Council to support local businesses need to be

looked at again - restrictions on who qualifies and a realistic compensation scheme for local

businesses should be brought forward urgently.”

Political life

Ms Fellows was a senior figure in the Yes Motherwell and Wishaw campaign, which won a majority

in North Lanarkshire at the 2014 independence referendum.

She was elected to North Lanarkshire Council 2012, representing Wilshaw.

She is a member of the SNP Trade Union Group and of the SNP Campaign Against Nuclear

Disarmament.

Ms Fellows stood as the SNP candidate for the same seat in the 2010 general elections, but finished

second behind Labour MP Frank Roy. She has also previously stood as the SNP candidate for the

corresponding Scottish Parliamentary seat against former First Minister Jack McConnell and

achieved a 6.9% swing from Labour to the SNP.

Professional life

Ms Fellows was a lecturer in Business Studies of 19 years at West Lothian College, Livingston.




24


She was an active and senior member of the EIS-CLA (College Lecturers Association), and has been a

Branch Official and a member of its national Salary and Conditions Committee.

Personal life

Born in Irvine, Ms Fellows was educated at Belmont High, Ayr and Carrick Academy, Maybole,

before graduating from Heriot-Watt University in Accountancy and Finance.

Ms Fellows has lived in Wishaw and Bellshill for 40 years. She is married with three children.


Website: http://marionfellows.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marionfellows

Twitter: https://twitter.com/marion53f


Con 5%

Lab 39%

Lib Dem 1%

SNP 50%

SNP lead Lab by 11%




https://twitter.com/marion53f


25


Incumbent MP: Douglas Alexander (Lab)

2010 Majority: 16,614

Mhairi Black is the SNP Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for

Paisley and Renfrewshire South. The seat was formed in 2005, and is

currently held by MP and Shadow Foreign Secretary Douglas

Alexander who has a majority of over 16,000.

Policy interests

Ms Black’s primary policy interests lie in Scottish independence which has dedicated the majority of

her political career towards.

She spoke for a resolution on Social Justice at the SNP National Conference in which she stated that

“food banks and charity do not effect change. They are an indication that we need change”.

Responding to concerns over her young age (she was 20 at the age of selection), she said that “the

Commons is there to represent everybody and part of the population is youngsters. So who came up

with a rule that you have to be middle-aged, middle-class man to be in the House of Commons?”

Political life

Ms Black was a prominent Yes Scotland campaigner that rose in popularity following her

participation in the Scottish independence referendum. As an active SNP member, she has spoken

on several platforms including rallies and conferences.

Ms Black joined former SNP deputy leader Jim Sellar’s “Margo Mobile” campaign that toured

housing estates and working communities across Scotland for the independence referendum.

As a student at Glasgow University, she serves as the Campaign Officer for the university’s Scottish

Nationalist Association. She is also the Women's Officer for Paisley SNP.

Ms Black generated controversy over comments she made at the Hope over Fear rally in the

aftermath of Scotland backing the Union, in which she stated that she considered “putting the nut”

(head-butting) Labour councillors following the news of the loss, and called no-voters “selfish” and

“gullible”. This, amidst crude comments made on social media, prompted calls for First Minister

Nicola Sturgeon to strip Ms Black of her candidacy.




26


Professional life

Ms Black is a final year student studying politics at the University of Glasgow.

Personal life

Ms Black lives in Ralson, in Paisley, is a supporter of Partick Thistle Football Club (nicknamed the

Jags), and has expressed a distaste for Celtic.


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mhairi.Black.SNP

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mhairi1921


Con 6%

Lab 40%

Lib Dem 2%

SNP 48%

SNP lead Lab by 8%





27


Incumbent MP: Gemma Doyle (Lab)

2010 Majority: 17,408

Martin Docherty is the SNP Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for

West Dunbartonshire. The seat is currently held by Gemma Doyle who

came into the position with a 41.2 per cent majority in the 2010 General

Election.

Policy interests

Mr Docherty has claimed that he wants to “defend our communities against the austerity measures

of Westminster and to ensure a strong pro-independence, pro-Scotland voice is loud and clear in the

UK Parliament”.

As well as challenging austerity, he is against Trident renewal and fracking. LGBT equality is also an

issue close to his heart.

In February 2015, following a decision by Glasgow City Council to reverse their cut to primary

school education less than 48 hours after setting their budget, Mr Doherty insisted that local MP and

opponent Gemma Doyle should take no credit for the Council’s change of mind.

Commenting on this, he said “Any representative should have been involved in this budget from the

start, not turning up when things get rough. The parents of West Dunbartonshire had to overturn

this. This is all down to the parents and nothing to do with Labour — and nothing to do with

Gemma Doyle”.

Political life

Mr Docherty has served on Glasgow City Council since 2012.

In this capacity, he has sat on several committees including the Sustainability and Environmental

Policy Development Committee, the Community Planning Partnership and the Operation Delivery

Scrutiny Committee.

Professional life

Mr Docherty is currently a Policy Advisor for Volunteer Scotland, previously working for West

Dunbartonshire CVS as the Policy and Research Lead. He was also a Board member for the Glasgow

Housing Association and National Secretary for Cahonas Scotland, a male cancer awareness charity.




28


Personal life

Mr Docherty was born, and has spent the majority of his years, in West Dunbartonshire.

He completed his Bachelor’s degree at the University of Essex in Political Science and Government,

and then a Master’s and MPhil in Art and Design from the Glasgow School of Art.


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Martin-Docherty-for-West-Dunbartonshire/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MartinJDocherty


Con 6%

Lab 38%

Lib Dem 1%

SNP 47%

SNP lead Lab by 9%





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