Charles Kennedy

My family and I have strong and long connections with the area and constituency having been born in West Calder and lived in West Lothian almost all my life as have many generations of my family and indeed my mother has spent all of her 91 years in West Calder. I moved to Bathgate in 1989 and have lived here ever since. My daughter was educated at Bathgate Academy and lives in Bathgate.

My early years education was at Parkhead Primary and later at West Calder High School before attending Napier University to study Quantity Surveying and I have spent all my working life in the construction industry initially as a Quantity Surveyor and then as a commercial manager.

Since 2017 I have had the great pleasure of representing the Bathgate Ward on West Lothian Council and currently hold the chair of the Development Management Committee as well as sitting on 24 committees and outside bodies.

Over many years I have played a major role in campaigning for the Scottish Conservative Party both for previous candidates and then since 2012 as a candidate for council, Scottish and General Elections.

As a key participant in the Scottish Independence referendum I led the Better Together group in West Lothian where, as in Scotland generally, we were successful in gaining a vote to remain a part of our great United Kingdom.

My commitment to the continuation of the Union of Nations that is the United Kingdom and the rejection of divisive nationalism remains as strong as ever.