Could you tell readers about yourself, and why you’ve chosen to try and represent this ward?
I’m standing again because I firmly believe that Lomond North is crying out for change & fresh ideas. The close result in the December by-election has shown me there is huge support for me personally, but more importantly that the ideas & the things I stand for resonated well with the voters. I have a simple mantra: People, Not Politics. That has been well received by the voters because frankly I think we are all a bit tired of party politics getting in the way of simply doing the right thing!
I’m local & have lived here with my wife, Roo, for almost 10-years. I have been an active member of the local community council for the past 4-years & been involved across the entire ward on numerous local issues. I believe that in order to serve the community a Councillor needs to be able to commit all of their time to the role. It is not about personal gain or personal advantage – it’s about serving the community.
I have no other distractions & nothing to gain personally by being elected. I can commit all of my time to serving the communities of Lomond North & that is what I will do.
What do you think are the three key issues in the future for the ward, and how close is your relationship with it?
There is so much to do at a granular level in each community – but the three big issues, across the entire ward, that I will be tackling are:
Regeneration Funding. I am passionate about this & recently I pioneered a new approach by working with my own community council & one of our local development trusts to create a unique community development partnership. I have subsequently helped to raise £171,500 for that partnership & I hope to be able to roll that blueprint out across all of Lomond North.
Housing Crisis. We need more social housing & more affordable private housing. The explosion in AirBnB & second homes has severely impacted the private housing stock & in addition we simply don’t have enough social housing. I am already in talks with developers who want to build affordable houses in Lomond North.
Climate Change & Renewable Energy. We need to increase our investment in renewable energy & I fully support the development of local wind farms & tidal technology. For example, a ‘community’ wind farm with just 6 turbines can generate enough power for almost 12,000 homes & also create a community ‘benefit’ fund. I am now certified in Carbon Literacy & I will be taking more certified training in due course to enable me to become an advocate for Climate Change within Argyll & Bute Council.
Currently Argyll and Bute Council is run by TALIG – the Argyll, Lomond and the Islands Group, a coalition of Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and some independent councillors. If elected, would you join this group?
No. I am an Independent because I believe that in order to truly represent the people of Lomond North, I have to be able to vote in the best interests of the communities I represent. I repeat my stance which is “People, Not Politics”.
Currently the council is considering a ‘collectives’ system, which would see several schools share a headteacher and management team. Do you support this policy?
No, I personally disagree with the plans. But more importantly the resounding response across Lomond North is also negative. I have been working tirelessly, & very publicly, with Community Councils, Parent Councils, Teachers Unions & parents across the entire ward (& even further afield) for 4-months to coordinate consultation & information sharing. I will represent the views of the communities of Lomond North if I am asked to vote on these proposals.