Personal Statement: 

I have been our Scottish Rep to FCC since 2023, and I want to continue in this role. I am a hard-working member of the committee, who has spoken up consistently on issues affecting Scotland. Having me as FCC rep will ensure there is another hard-working member on the FCC team to help deliver the best possible conference for our members.
In my time on FCC, I have not missed a single Federal Conference, attending and putting in the hard work chairing debates, assisting our stewarding team and carrying out extra duties as needed.
During motion selection meetings I have been a loud voice championing motions submitted by members, and calling out elements of the process which favour motions from parliamentarians, as well as standing up for diversity and the rights of others. I have also provided drafting advice and guidance to members both within and outwith the formal drafting advice process.
I want to continue this hard work, and continue to be a strong voice for Scotland and for member-led policy at our Federal Conference Committee. I will take a more involved role in the sub-committees to have greater input on issues such as venue selection, and I will always remind other members of FCC that we are a Federal Party and Scottish and Welsh voices should also be championed and heard.
Please give me your first preference to allow me to continue to speak up for Scotland and work hard for the party as a whole. 

What skills/experience will you bring to the role?

I have been Scottish Rep to FCC since 2023, and have gained a clear understanding of the procedures and standing orders of the Federal Conference, which is invaluable in the work of the committee. These past 2 years have had a learning curve, and I feel I have worked hard to become a productive and valuable member of the committee who has been influential in making some of the key decisions about the Federal Conference.
In addition to the main duties of an FCC member at conference, I have also taken on extra tasks such as developing an improved training session for members on how to write a conference motion, and delivering this at the conference. I have also developed strong working relationships with other committee members and members of the staff and stewarding teams.
I have also 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, serving as a chair of many conference sessions and taking on various other duties as required.
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.
 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.
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? 

Bring Conference to Scotland
 I will join the sub-committee which selects conference venues and explore options for hosting a Federal Conference in a Scottish City. I will also support other calls for more diversity in our choice of venues for Autumn Conference, as it is not fair that our Scottish Members must always face the expense and time cost of travelling down to the South Coast of England.
 Support Scottish Members’ Motions
 I will work with Scottish Members to draft motions to the Federal Conference, and champion these through the motion selection process. I have developed training on how to write a Federal Conference motion, and will deliver this as an online session accessible to Scottish Party members. I will also make myself available to offer drafting advice.
More Scottish Voices
 I will continue to fight to give speeches to key voices from the Scottish Party, at our conferences. At present there is little opportunity for voices such as our MSPs to get keynote speeches, and I will push for more diversity of voices in Keynotes beyond the Westminster Bubble. I will also ensure that our Scottish Party Leader continues to have a speech at the Federal Conference.
Champion Affordability
 Federal Conferences are expensive to attend. We need to take learning from the Scottish Conference and elsewhere to reduce the cost of attendance. As well as choice of venue, we need to look at providing better support for members struggling with costs, and consider trialling the ‘Pay What You Can’ model currently used in Scotland.
Push for Innovation
 I want to push forward ideas such as Mini Motions at a Federal Level, to give members a less intimidating say in shaping our party policy. I will also push to introduce a fuller hybrid option for participation at our conferences, and will support other good ideas for innovation at our conference.
Continue to Work Hard
 FCC is a busy role during our conferences, and I will continue to be a productive member who gets things done. I have attended all conferences since being on FCC, and have often stepped in to cover gaps on the schedule or taken on other duties such as delivering training and staffing the helpdesk. I also work collaboratively with the staff and stewarding teams where the opportunity arises.
Please give me your first preference, and allow me to continue my hard work on FCC!