Personal Statement: 

If you have attended any of our Scottish Conferences in the past few years, you have likely seen me working very hard to deliver the best possible conference for our members. As an experienced member of Scottish Conference Committee, I have the drive and determination to lead our conferences into Holyrood 2026 and the 2027 Local Elections, ensuring we put our party on the best foot to fight back against the threat of Reform and our failing SNP government, and empowering members to shape our party policy.
I have a proven track record of action, having been instrumental in delivering key elements of our conferences successfully, at a Scottish and a Federal level. Outside of the party I have considerable experience in delivering events, chairing meetings and managing teams, which will prove invaluable to the role.
One of the reasons I love this party is the ability for our members to draft, debate and vote for policy, and I would champion this, encouraging and supporting members in bringing policy motions to conference, and maximizing the time available for debating policy motions.
In the past few years the Scottish Party have done a fantastic job in producing a slick and professional conference on a much lower budget than that of the Federal Party, and I want this to continue.
I have a track record of working hard to deliver our conferences, and I ask for your first preference to allow me to bring my skills and experience to lead our conference committee through 2026 and beyond. 

What skills/experience will you bring to the role? 

I have been a member of the Scottish Conference Committee for 2 terms, serving as a vice convenor for both. In this role I have supported the current convenor to deliver our conference, playing a key role in setting our conference agenda and championing member led policy making, as well as serving as a chair of many conference sessions.
I have also taken on additional responsibilities, such as:
 - Organising and supervising our live stream of conference proceedings
- Creating an improved, automated timing light system for debates
 - Obtaining new party awards trophies and introducing statuettes for winners to keep
 - Assisting party staff in the set up and break down of conference, and helping to troubleshoot when issues crop up
 I have also sat on Federal Conference Committee as Scottish Rep, which has given me insight of how Federal Conferences are run, as well as making key contacts who can provide advice when challenges crop up, and a network of contacts.
 Since joining the party in 2016, I have taken on several key roles, Leading my local party as chair through several elections in which we grew our vote share locally. I have also served as candidate for the party in the 2021 Holyrood, 2022 Local and 2024 Westminster elections. I am our candidate for Kirkcaldy for next year’s election, and a Mid Scotland and Fife regional list candidate.
My professional background as a Chartered Architect requires attention to detail, conflict resolution skills and an ability to manage and coordinate teams which I will bring to this role. My ability to assess buildings will feed into the selection of venues, considering issues such as accessibility and practicality.
I also have experience of organising other large events, serving as the Exhibition Manager of the Edinburgh Model Railway Exhibition for the past 2 years, an event I developed from the ground up, building a strong organising team and delegating roles to deliver a highly praised and successful event. Within this role I had oversight of budgeting for the event, coordinating traders and exhibitors and chairing the organising committee.
Further experience includes having served as the Health and Safety officer for a charity marathon, an event safety steward, and an event first aider and team leader at many large events. In these roles I have had to think on my feet during challenging and stressful situations. On several occasions I have had to remain calm and coordinate the response to serious situations, and have received praise for my ability to do so. 

What do you hope to achieve if elected?

Best Possible Experience
 We currently provide a high quality and professional conference experience on a tight budget, but there is always room for improvement. I will work to develop this further and ensure we are providing the highest possible production value for our resource. I will also invite more inspiring guest speakers and key parliamentarians to provide their insight.
Developing Talent
 I wouldn’t be standing for this role if it hadn’t been for Paul McGarry recognising my skills and aiding my development. I will provide all members of the Conference Committee opportunities to develop their individual talents and take on key roles. I will also improve the training offerings available for all members, and provide opportunities to volunteer and support at our conferences beyond being a committee member.
Supporting Members
 I want to support more members to develop and submit policy motions, with a more formalised drafting advice process, and training available on how to write a conference motion. I will also improve the advice given on the Scottish Party Website to those drafting motions.
 Maintaining Affordability
 I will continue ‘pay what you can’ pricing, and selecting venues which have affordable accommodation options nearby, and good public transport links. I will work with the Scottish Party Exec to look at how we can further support members who would struggle to attend due to affordability concerns.
 Innovation
I will look at options for introducing hybrid attendance, taking inspiration from groups such as the Young Liberals who already do this successfully.
Mini Motions were a key innovation over the past few years, and I want to look at how we can improve these further and encourage more engagement with these. I would work with our Policy Committee on this, as well as reaching out to members for their input.
I will also create an improved nominations and selection process for award winners, making it simpler for party members to nominate others for awards, and having a clear judging criteria and process.
 Winning Here
 I want our party to win seats, at Holyrood, in Local Councils, and at Westminster. I will work with our campaigns, press and parliamentary teams to ensure our conference provides the best possible springboard for our elections, whilst ensuring it maintains its constitutional role to allow members to have their say on our party policy and direction.
Please give me your first preference for Conference Convenor, to deliver all of this and more.