I was born in Stirling and brought up in Alva, Clackmannanshire where I went to school. My home and office are there. Four decades of legal practice, regularly appearing in courts in Alloa, Stirling and Falkirk, in cases of crime, family and child law enabled me to recognise the vulnerabilities of local people and to know the challenges faced.

Those include generational poverty and deprivation, entrapment in a vicious circle some find it impossible to escape. Parts of Alloa have 51% of children living in poverty – shameful statistics in a land of energy bounty.

Inequality and hopelessness affect every demographic but most often overlooked are the single men and women including those in work described as the working poor.

Our area suffers more than most the impact of poor mental health, challenging circumstances, addictions and suicides. I know the bereaved and the broken. They are countless and these losses are painful, unnecessary and a most unwelcome stain on our country. They betray a lack of political will to change.

The cost of living crisis, fuel crisis, the increasing impact of Brexit, our ageing population, inability to control and increase immigration to assist in health, social care and the rural economy are symptoms of the cost of the Union.

My priorities as a local are :-

To represent the views, needs and interests of those who elected me and rightly expect me so to do; my loyalty is to the people, not to any party – I care about those hidden behind the net curtain, gazing out at the world they feel unable or unworthy to join, yet who have so very much to offer.

To promote and contend for Scotland’s Independence at every opportunity – for it is only with independence that Scotland will have the government of her choice and the ability to prosper free from WM control.

To continue a lifelong pursuit and defence of the rights of women and girls to single sex spaces, services and provisions including in refuge, prisons, sport and in health.

To ensure the continued existence, improvement and replacement of the Grangemouth refinery for Scotland cannot become the country to discover oil and become a desert

To argue daily for national housebuilding and energy companies, cut price energy for all of Scotland’s people, the continuation and expansion of free education for all as a route out of poverty, for free school meals across all education sectors, and for the liberation and promotion of our greatest resource – the people of Scotland.