Election Hub

Meet the team

This year’s Scottish parliamentary election could be one of the most important in recent political history.

From the future of the United

Kingdom to the fight for the soul of the independence movement and questions over whether Scottish Labour can recover, there is no shortage of issues at stake.

David MacDougall

David joined us as head of politics at the end of 2020 after nearly 20 years as a foreign correspondent. Most recently he was based in Finland covering the Nordic and Baltic area but he has reported from more than 30 countries for TV. His career began at a local US station. David grew up in Fife and was a diplomat before turning to reporting. He and his dog are looking forward to exploring – when the election is over.

Adele Merson

Adele covers the north-east political beat, digging into the issues that matter to you, from oil to tourism and regional connectivity. She is passionate about reporting on women’s rights and boosting their representation in politics. She became a political reporter after joining the Evening Express as a trainee in 2014. Adele was shortlisted for Political Reporter of the Year at the Scottish Press Awards in 2018, ’19 and ’20.

Andy Philip

Andy is political editor of The Press and Journal, covering the twists and turns at Holyrood and St Andrew’s House. An Aberdeenshire lad, he covered the patch for The P&J just before the SNP had its first whiff of power. Since then he’s covered Scottish politics in stints with the Press Association and Daily Record, before returning to his roots in our expanded DC Thomson politics team. He enjoys music and cycling.

Calum Ross

Calum has covered politics for 15 years, and has worked at both Westminster and Holyrood. Since joining The Press and Journal in 2007 he has served in senior positions including political editor and investigations editor. He has won multiple honours, including Reporter of the Year at the 2016 Highlands and Islands Media Awards, and is a three-time finalist at the Scottish Press Awards.

Paul Malik

Paul started covering Scottish politics in 2019, thrown headfirst into Brexit, prorogued parliaments and snap general elections before coronavirus turned up and showed the world the true meaning of crisis. Outside politics, Paul enjoys waiting for his invitation to Milan fashion week – before remembering he’ll be returning to Tannadice, not the San Siro, when things get back to normal.

To navigate the twists and turns of the campaign, give context to the debate and analyse the aftermath, DC Thomson has assembled a stellar team of political journalists.

Barrie Daglish

Barrie is a digital producer who has been a journalist since graduating from Stirling University in 1999. His role is to help the politics team win the battle for eyeballs and ensure their work reaches as many people as possible.

A keen reader and fan of US sports, Barrie batted .333 for the Athens Warriors in high school and is sure the Philadelphia Phillies will be calling him up any day now...

Dan O’Donoghue

Dan is our man in Westminster, making sense of the politics and policy of the UK Government. Whether it’s Brexit, the Budget or Boris, he’s getting the latest lines on the biggest stories.

Prior to joining the team, Dan stalked the corridors of power for the Press Association. He made his way to Parliament working for local and regional newspapers and national press agencies. He’s a die-hard Everton fan and is convinced the Toffees will win the league.

Finlay Jack

Finlay is a third-year journalism student at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen and is on placement with the team.

Finlay gained experience in the industry reporting on Queen of the South FC, his hometown team. You can hear his dulcet tones on Queen of the South’s live streams as Finlay commentates for the club as well as match reporting, live tweeting and recording post-match interviews.

Derek Healey

Derek is our political correspondent, covering everything from election campaign launches with giant comedy deckchairs to the scandal and intrigue that makes Holyrood tick. He is the man behind our politics newsletter and regularly appears on The Stooshie podcast.

Prior to joining the team, Derek worked as a Dundee reporter and online journalist, taking a particular interest in investigations and corruption.

Rachel Amery

Rachel is working on our daily interactive newscast Election Hub Live in the run-up to the Holyrood election in May.

Rachel grew up and lives in Perth and prior to joining the DC Thomson politics team was a news reporter for the Evening Telegraph. She has covered local, Scottish and general elections. Outside of work, Rachel likes running, cooking, reading and is a Eurovision enthusiast