In a week’s time voting will be well under way for this 2016 Scottish Parliament election, with five candidates fighting to represent the Dumbarton constituency.
Labour’s Jackie Baillie has won every election for the seat since the Scottish Parliament was formed in 1999, and will be defending a majority of 1,639.
This time the SNP candidate is Gail Robertson, while the Conservatives are represented by Maurice Corry and the Liberal Democrats by Aileen Morton; Andrew Muir stands as an independent.
In the 2011 election Jackie Baillie received 12,562 votes – 44.1% of the votes cast, and an increase of 5% on the 2007 poll – ahead of the SNP’s Iain Robertson with 10,923 votes, Graham Smith (Conservative) with 3,395, Liberal Democrat Helen Watt with 858 and Independent George Rice on 770. The turnout was 52.9%.
In 2007 Jackie Baillie’s majority was slightly lower – 1,587 – with a turnout of 55.6%.
The public can cast two voters in this election – for the local constituency and for parties in the regional or ‘list’ system. For guidance on how to vote click here: May_Election-2016_leaflet-6pp_SCOTTISH_Final_WEB
All five local candidates have been asked the same questions by this website and their answers are below, listed in alphabetical order.
Jackie Baillie (Labour):
Could you tell readers about yourself, and why you’ve chosen to try to represent this constituency?
I live in Dumbarton with my daughter and I have been proud to represent this area since 1999 when the Scottish Parliament was first created.
Before becoming an MSP I worked in both the public and voluntary sector, latterly as a Community Economic Development Manager for a local authority.
While Scottish Labour was in government, I served as Deputy Minister for Communities under the first First Minister, Donald Dewar, from 1999 until 2000, before being promoted to the Cabinet as Social Justice Minister from 2000 until November 2001.
It has been a huge privilege to represent our area in the Scottish Parliament. Dumbarton Constituency covers a large geographic area, spanning from the banks of the River Clyde to the top of Loch Lomond and across to the Rest and Be Thankful. It is probably one of the most diverse constituencies in Scotland and covers a range of communities, rural and urban, all with their own particular characteristics and local concerns.
I consider myself first and foremost a local MSP and my top priority is dealing with the concerns of constituents. I will campaign tirelessly for local people putting their interests first above all else.
What do you think are the four key issues in the future for the Helensburgh area and the Rosneath Peninsula?
- Protecting jobs at the base
I will always stand up for the workers at Faslane and Coulport and defend their employment. The impact of the base on our local economy is substantial and those who wish to scrap Trident have no answers on replacement jobs.
- Poor digital connectivity in many areas
A Scottish Labour Government would make the delivery of universal superfast broadband a national infrastructure priority. We will invest £100M per year of over the lifetime of the next parliament. Under our plan, no home or business in Scotland will go without access to a 10MB/s broadband connection.
- Better public transport links and a reliable ferry service
The transport system is a patchwork of services and many areas are not adequately covered. We will legislate for an integrated transport system with regulated bus services and one smart ticket that can be used on all bus, train and ferry services. I will continue to argue for the Scottish Government to take over responsibility for the Gourock-Kilcreggan ferry, but whoever runs the service, they must provide a better quality, more reliable service.
- Invest in the next generation
We would use our income tax powers to stop cuts to education and bring back the 50p top rate for those earning over £150,000 a year. This would enable investment of over £1/4 million for primary schools in Helensburgh and Lomond. Schools on the Rosneath Peninsula have already seen their teacher numbers reduced yet the SNP has refused to rule out any more cuts to education. We choose to use our powers to invest in the future of our children and the economy, rather than cutting even deeper into schools and skills.
What is the biggest single priority for this area that you would try to address immediately after the election?
Stop the cuts to local health services.
If I am re-elected my immediate priority will be to protect our local health services from further cuts. We know that the health board is already working on plans behind the scenes to transfer emergency care from the Vale to the RAH and close the community maternity unit. However they have delayed the final decision on the plans until after the election, so local people will not be able to hold the SNP to account over the proposed cuts at the Vale. Scottish Labour is the only party to guarantee in our manifesto that all local services will be protected at the Vale.
Immediately after the election I will hold urgent talks with health board officials about the future of the Vale. We need an immediate halt to cuts and a plan for investment to restore services and guarantee a brighter future for our hospital. I will also seek more funding for local ambulance services. Local people are waiting longer and longer in an emergency and more and more ambulances are being dispatched with only one member of staff. I will fight for a better deal for local patients and demand more resources for our area from the next Scottish Government.
What should happen at Faslane and Coulport in the future? Please be specific, e.g. should there be 4 or 3 Trident nuclear submarines based there.
I will stand up for local jobs by continuing to make the case for maintaining the UK’s nuclear deterrent at Faslane and Coulport. This is a position I have held consistently during my 16 years as the MSP for this area and I will continue to defend the jobs of base workers. I will always put the interests of local people ahead of my party.
It is also important to recognise that the vote on Trident renewal will take place in the House of Commons later this year and that a substantial number of Labour MPs are likely to support renewal. Existing UK Labour policy supports the maintenance of a minimum credible nuclear deterrent and it is our view that this is best achieved through a continuous-at-sea system requiring all four submarines.
Maurice Corry (Conservative): Has not yet responded to requests for information; if any response is received this story will be updated.
Aileen Morton (Liberal Democrat):
Could you tell readers about yourself, and why you’ve chosen to try and represent this constituency?
Having grown up in Helensburgh I moved away for a spell in my 20s but came back to the town 14 years ago to raise my family. My professional background is in IT and I haves worked for a wide range of companies – from small, local businesses to British Airways. I have also volunteered in the past, first for the Argyll and Bute Children’s Panel and then for the West Dunbartonshire Citizens Advice Bureau.
I was elected as a councillor in May 2012 and really enjoy working with the local community to make a difference. I have taken on a varying range of roles from volunteering with the Winter Festival to representing the Council on the Helensburgh & District Access Trust.
As the Council’s Policy Lead for Economic Development I have seen the importance of working with a wide range of partners to really make a difference in an area. I believe that my experience – politically, professionally and as a volunteer – means that I could deliver real improvements for the Dumbarton constituency if elected as the local MSP.
What do you think are the four key issues in the future for the Helensburgh area and the Rosneath Peninsula?
For the entire area, but particularly for the Rosneath Peninsula, some of the biggest issues are around infrastructure – roads, reliable ferry access and digital connectivity for both mobile and broadband. These basic services are crucial to allow people to go about their day-to-day business both personally and professionally.
The Lib Dems believe that local people are best placed to identify solutions and are committed to giving as much power back to local people as possible. Power has been stripped away from local communities and hoarded at Holyrood but we want to see the next five years reverse that centralisation through manifesto commitments such as allowing local communities to establish a burgh council for their area and ensuring local policing plans are approved locally.
Similar to the rest of Scotland though there are overarching issues that will always be of crucial importance – jobs, housing, education and health. The Lib Dems are committed to investing an additional half a billion pounds in education – for the benefit of young people, employers and our country as a whole.
What is the biggest single priority for this area that you would try to address immediately after the election?
Across the whole of the UK there are city and region deals being set up with additional funding and support offered by both the UK and Scottish governments. One of the biggest threats to the Helensburgh and Lomond area (and the rest of Argyll and Bute) is that other regions will be prioritised leaving this area neglected.
My first priority would be to lobby for Helensburgh and Lomond to get the same kind of investment in roads and industry as the local authorities that are part of the Glasgow and Clyde Valley City Deal are getting.
What should happen at Faslane and Coulport in the future? Please be specific, e.g. should there be 4 or 3 Trident nuclear submarines based there.
It’s obvious that the existing jobs (nearly 7,000 civilian and over 3,000 military) are of enormous value to this area. Alan Reid as the MP for this area always fought to defend the workers at the Base and if elected as MSP I would absolutely continue to do the same.
With the Trafalgar and Astute submarines joining the Vanguard class submarines Faslane will become the focal point for all submarine activity in the UK. This change should and must bring with it wider benefits for the whole community – such as the relocation of the 90+ private businesses based around Devonport. While there is an enormous contribution to the local economy from Faslane and Coulport it is totally unacceptable that a report to Council last month identified Garelochhead as the number one hotspot for unemployment across the whole of Argyll and Bute.
Andrew Muir (Independent)
Could you tell readers about yourself, and why you’ve chosen to try to represent this constituency?
I am 57 years old, a pension actuary, a former Scottish Chess Champion and I live in Dumbarton. The reason I am standing is that I am disgusted about the way people are treated in hospitals and the complete failure of the complaints system to bring justice for complainants. My wife was treated under the Mental Health Act for fifteen months even though she has never had a mental illness.
here was a vested interest in the system to test dangerous drugs on her. Her psychiatrist, Mental Health Officer and solicitor made many false statements in the medical notes and at secret Mental Health Tribunals in order to keep her in the system for a very long period. They even tried to make out that I had a mental illness as well. In order to force her to take drugs she was physically assaulted by five male members of staff. Not a single person in authority in Jackie Baillie’s constituency will investigate these matters and we have been pursuing a police complaint now for nearly ten years.
What do you think are the four key issues in the future for the Helensburgh area and the Rosneath Peninsula?
Health: Some rural GPs are only working four days a week and it can be hard to get an appointment. Many carers are not getting the financial support they require to look after someone with multiple medical conditions.
Small businesses: There needs to be a higher level of support for these people. The footfall on shop fronts along West Clyde St is quite quiet. Shoppers left during the building works and haven’t returned. Workers from Faslane do not spend their money here. Consideration could be given to creating a John Logie Baird centre to revitalise the river front.
Transport: There is a lack of investment in ferries to and from Kilcreggan & Helensburgh over to Gourock and the Clyde coast. An investment in a car ferry for these routes would bring additional tourist trade and jobs to the Helensburgh & Rosneath peninsular area – although all the piers would need upgrading.
Schools: We can see from the problems at Hermitage Academy that having high educational standards is very important to parents. As an ex-teacher myself I believe that having a zero-tolerance to low-level disruption in the class and encouraging sports is the way to get the best achievements for pupils.
What is the biggest single priority for this area that you would try to address immediately after the election?
The biggest single priority for this area which I would try to address immediately after the election, especially with an ageing population is health care. This means that we want full services at the Vale of Leven Hospital and that people are treated with dignity and respect at all times. I would meet with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and also Jamie Hepburn (Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health) and Shona Robison (Cabinet Secretary for Health Wellbeing and Sport) should they remain in their posts. I want the Mental Health Act and the Abortion Acts repealed, a great reduction in the amount of antipsychotics prescribed in care homes and a change in the culture away from targets to care.
What should happen at Faslane and Coulport in the future? Please be specific, e.g. should there be 4 or 3 Trident nuclear submarines based there.
As far as Faslane and Coulport are concerned I would like to remove all Trident nuclear weapons from the area. I believe that nuclear weapons are too costly and immoral. The base should be retained for the servicing of conventionally armed and conventionally powered naval units. I would like the same number of people employed in this area as currently. Full financial support should be given for recruitment and training for this and of course a very large rebate from the Westminster government for any temporary financial disadvantages. We should also try and encourage much more of the staff to live and settle in the area and thus contribute to the local economy.
Gail Robertson (SNP):
Could you tell readers about yourself, and why you’ve chosen to try to represent this constituency?
I was born in this constituency and have lived here all of my life, I’ve worked here, I’ve also experienced life as a commuter, when work took me further afield. I grew up in Dumbarton and the Vale of Leven and I spent a number of years living in Helensburgh too.
I have a wide experience of business having worked in my family’s local printing business and also worked in the tourism industry, food wholesale and renewable energy sector. I understand the stresses and strains facing small businesses but also recognise the huge contribution they make to the local economy.
I was elected as Councillor in West Dunbartonshire, in 2012, and as well as working with constituents and community groups in my ward, for the last four years I have been a member of various council committees, gaining valuable experience of local government.
I can see the vast potential that is on our doorstep and I know we can achieve better. I know we deserve better. This community has shaped the person that I am today.
I believe I can be a stronger voice for the Dumbarton constituency and the SNP will always be a stronger voice for Scotland.
What do you think are the four key issues in the future for the Helensburgh area and the Rosneath Peninsula?
During the election campaign I have been working hard to speak to local residents across the constituency listening to their concerns and hopes for the future. Issues raised range from the need for more local job opportunities, more affordable housing, education and local health services. The SNP are committed to addressing these issues and I am committed to ensuring our national policies make a real difference to our community. From providing more apprenticeships, new Jobs Grant to help our young people get into work, to free bus travel for apprentices and unemployed young people and help with housing for 18-21 year olds. We will increase the investment in education aimed at closing the attainment gap, some of this funding will be going directly to our schools who can make the best use of this investment according to the needs of each school and importantly we will ensure that education remains free and widen access to further education. Having already exceeded our target of 30,000 new affordable homes we have committed to a new target of 50,000 for the next parliament, with investment for rural housing too, which I hope will support and encourage more people to live in some of the more rural areas of our constituency. Nicola Sturgeon has also pledged an extra £2 billion investment in our NHS over the next parliament £500 million over inflation. And has given a firm commitment to ensuring the Vale of Leven has a strong future, in the heart of our community.
What is the biggest single priority for this area that you would try to address immediately after the election?
Health services, in particular our local hospital will be my first priority. In response to recent concern over local services both Nicola Sturgeon and Shona Robison gave their firm commitment to the future of the Vale of Leven Hospital. Nicola said “the Scottish Government is committed to the Vale as a strong, local hospital and insists it will remain strong 10 years from now”. While Shona made clear she would not approve any move away from delivery of the Vision for the Vale agreement and said, “I have been consistently clear that this government sees a bright future for the hospital, which plays a crucial role in the local healthcare system”.
I have lived in the Dumbarton constituency my entire life. I know the value that people place on our local health services and the Vale of Leven Hospital. I will always work to protect and enhance local health services if I am elected.
What should happen at Faslane and Coulport in the future? Please be specific, e.g. should there be 4 or 3 Trident nuclear submarines based there.
As an SNP member and Scottish CND member I am opposed to nuclear weapons and would campaign for the removal of Trident. I believe spending billions of pounds replacing Trident while cutting the welfare budget by £12 billion is morally reprehensible. Despite what our incumbent MSP may claim, Scottish Labour have also now made clear their opposition to its renewal. We often hear those in favour of Trident attempt to make a case based on the potential impact on the local economy, yet a SCND/STUC study “Cancelling Trident concluded, more jobs would be created if the same amounts of money were invested in other areas of public spending. If the funds were put into sustainable economic development the impact on employment would be even greater. In fact the cost of renewing Trident comes at the expense of spending on conventional defence and conventional manufacturing jobs.
Interesting article – your Tory man has not yet replied!!
Lesley
Lesley Carruthers http://www.lesleycarruthers.co.uk 01436 842250 07968 728673