A LAWYER from Castle Douglas has secured his name on the ballot paper at the upcoming Scottish parliamentary elections.
Iain McDonald was announced as the Liberal Democrats’ candidate for Galloway and West Dumfries earlier this week.
Currently a partner of Gillespie Gifford & Brown, he hopes to successfully challenge the incumbent constituency MSP Finlay Carson, and swap his senior role at the firm for a seat at Holyrood.
McDonald said he set about seeking the candidacy after observing an increasingly polarised political sphere and what he called a “Punch and Judy approach” taken by politicians.
Speaking after his endorsement, he said: “I am delighted to have been endorsed by the local party and honoured to be putting myself forward as a candidate for the Galloway and West Dumfries Constituency.
“I feel there needs to be a voice for the silent majority of local people who know our needs are not best served by a relentless focus on grand constitutional arguments, but actually the need for effective, diligent and reasoned government. I put myself forward as a candidate for those who don’t feel represented by the nationalist focus on separation or the increasingly un-relatable Westminster ‘bubble’. There is another way. Politics need to change, and how we vote needs to change.
“We are facing a whole range of local, national and global problems, from mental health challenges to our changing climate. We need to work with our neighbours to improve the lives of all of us in this special corner of South West Scotland.
“I look forward to putting my case forward at the upcoming election.”
