LIB DEM - JULIA BROWN
My goodness this election is a close contest!
We all love our country and want it to flourish, so now is the time to bring in different people to create a Scottish government that will work for everyone.
When parliament was founded, the vision was for a diverse membership to ensure strong opposition and debate.
Groupthink we know is not good, and the best ideas develop through challenge from critical friends.
However for the last intake, the most common MSP background was politics, local government or public relations.
There were no scientists nor doctors, and few with a notable small business, retail or hospitality background.
The recovery from Covid and Brexit requires a team with much broader experience in government and your vote can help to redress the balance.
For many years I have worked in business and know how hard it is to create, fund and grow a sustainable company.
I promoted Scotland across the globe as an ideal location for major projects or investment and experienced the tough competition from other countries and regions.
Access to the right talent and a supportive business environment is critical for success.
Sadly, our education system needs to rapidly innovate to keep up with the rest of the world.
Young people must be supported to develop new skills and rebuild self-confidence to access jobs or to create companies.
We need to stop the uncertainty over Brexit or independence which is inhibiting business investment and impacting on jobs.
At the heart of the Lib Dem recovery plans is investment in education, skills and retraining alongside practical support for businesses and a commitment to the Union.
As a scientist, it pains me that evidence linking environmental damage, climate change, poverty and disease does not lead to faster action to clean up the mess.
Each of us can be greener, make small changes to our behaviour, to our homes and to our environment that will make a big difference to the planet and to our wellbeing. Good government should support us to make these changes at a local level and not focus resources on large vanity projects.
For years, the Lib Dems have been demanding devolution of more power and resources to local communities.
Replacing London control with Edinburgh control is not a satisfactory outcome, especially for those who live rurally.
Working with charities I see a growing reliance by government on the third sector to fill gaps in care, mental health support or housing provision. This is not acceptable.
The Lib Dems will invest in new homes and more support for good mental and physical health. We know these investments will pay Scotland back several times over.
I am new to politics but believe it is important to step up when you can, to offer your experience to help create positive change.
Strathearn is my home, and I will work hard to support Perthshire South and Kinross-shire.
Please vote to put the recovery first, support Julia Brown and the Scottish Liberal Democrats.