Scottish Parliamentary Candidates

Information on Glasgow's candidates for the May 2007 Scottish Parliament Elections:

• Anniesland - Danica Gilland
• Ballieston - David Jackson
• Cathcart - Shabnum Mustapha
• Govan - Chris Young
• Kelvin - Katy Gordon
• Maryhill - Kenn Elder
• Pollok - Christine Gilmore
• Rutherglen - Robert Brown
• Shettleston - Ross Renton
• Springburn - Stuart Grieve

MSP List

• Robert Brown MSP
• Katy Gordon
• Isabel Nelson
• David Jackson
• Arthur Sanderson
• Kenn Elder
• Shabnum Mustapha

Anniesland - Danica Gilland

Danica Gilland - Anniesland Candidate

Danica enjoys the theatre, music, reading and swimming.

Public Activity

• Member of the Glasgow Anniesland & Maryhill local parties
• Committee Member on Scottish Women Liberal Democrats
• Member of Edinburgh Children's Panel
• Vice-Chair of North Glasgow Youth Stakeholders Group
• Audio Describer of theatre for blind and partially sighted people

Political Interests

• Education & Young People
• The Environment
• The Arts
• Regeneration

Ballieston - David Jackson

David Jackson - Ballieston Candidate

When he is not running after his energetic children, David is a fitness enthusiast and can be frequently found cycling around the constituency, and as a competitive swimmer, he often trains in the local Tollcross swimming pool.

Public Activity

• Convenor, Rutherglen Constituency party
• Vice-Chair, Garrowhill Primary School
• Regular contributor to Scottish Liberal Democrat party conferences
• Member of the European movement

Political Interests

Sport and its impact on youth, finance and connecting the electorate to politicians.

Cathcart - Shabnum Mustapha

Shabnum Mustapha - Cathcart Candidate

Shabnum works for a leading international development charity as a Policy and Public Affairs Co-ordinator and has a strong interest in Malawi. She is a volunteer with the National Autistic Society Scotland and is learning Arabic.

Political experience

• Secretary, Greater Glasgow Liberal Democrats
• Member, Glasgow South Liberal Democrats

Political Interests

• Criminal justice
• Disability
• International Development
• Foreign Affairs

Govan - Chris Young

Chris Young - Govan Candidate

Chris enjoys performance poetry, limericks, and song-writing. He also enjoys badminton, gym and swimming. In late 2002, Chris won The Weakest Link, making Anne Robinson crack a smile in the process. Other television appearances include Countdown and University Challenge.

Public Activity

• Convener, Scottish Young Liberal Democrats (1997) (seat on Scottish Party Executive)
• Computer Officer, Menzies Campbell's Campaign Team (1997)
• Treasurer and Convener of DELGA-Scotland (LibDem LGBT issues group) (1999-2000) (seat on Scottish Party Executive and Policy Committee)
• Previously active as a Community Councillor in St Andrews (1998-2000); instrumental in benefit take-up campaign and overview of planning decisions

Kelvin - Katy Gordon

Katy Gordon - Kelvin Candidate

Katy enjoys hillwalking, cycling and gourmet cookery (the former counteract the effects of the latter). She recently learnt to ski and play golf, as if campaigning for the party wasn't fulfilling enough!

Public Activities

Katy became Secretary then Chair of Glasgow South (the local party which worked to elect Margot Clark in March '06 as the first Liberal Democrat councillor to win a by election in Glasgow since probably the First World War). In quick succession, she was asked to join the Greater Glasgow Liberal Democrats Committee, Conference Committee, Parliamentary Candidates Association Committee, Scottish Women Liberal Democrats Committee, where she began to make her presence felt. She later stepped down from Conference to join the Policy Committee.

Political Interests

• Education and enterprise
• Young People
• Environment
• Civil Liberties

Maryhill - Kenn Elder

Kenn Elder - Maryhill Candidate

Born in Dundee, Kenn has lived in Maryhill for the last nine years having previously lived in Canada, France, England and Australia. A qualified Chartered Management Accountant he is currently working with the Royal Bank of Scotland Group as a Project Consultant.

Public Activities

• Member of the Scottish Liberal Democrat Executive Committee since 2005
• Treasurer of the local environmental charity 'Friends of the River Kelvin'
• Chair of 'ArabTrust' (the Dundee United Supporters Society, a community based mutual and the 2nd largest shareholder in the club)

Political Interests

• Human Rights and Civil Liberties
• Enterprise and Economic Development
• Urban regeneration and Environmental preservation

Membership/Supporter

• Amnesty International
• Liberty
• Centre Forum
• Campaign for Real Ale
• Scotland Supporters Club aka 'The Tartan Army'

Pollock - Christine Gilmore

Christine GIlmore - Pollock Candidate

Christine writes freelance articles and speeches for the leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the European Parliament. She is keen on outdoor pursuits and enjoy hill walking and skiing. She enjoys languages, speaking advanced French, elementary Mandarin and Spanish. Christine has worked in both China and Romania as a TEFL Teacher.

Political Experience

• Editorial Adviser, Leader's Cabinet, Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE)
• Policy Development Officer and Researcher, Scottish Liberal Democrats

Rutherglen - Robert Brown

Robert Brown - Rutherglen Candidate

Robert is the Deputy Minister for Education and Young People. Prior to this appointment Robert was Convenor of the Education Committee of the Parliament and the Liberal Democrat spokesperson on Education and Young People. He was also a member of the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body, the management group of the Parliament until 2005.

Robert Brown is Convenor of the Scottish Liberal Democrat Policy Committee and was responsible for their 1997, 1999, 2001 and 2003 Manifestos. Robert was elected as the first Liberal Councillor on Glasgow District Council in 1977 and was Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group from 1977-1992. He was Liberal or Liberal Democrat candidate for Rutherglen in the October 1974, 1979, 1983, 1987, and 1997 general elections and the Scottish Elections of 1999. He was elected as regional Liberal Democrat MSP for Glasgow in 1999.

Born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1947, Robert Brown attended The Gordon Schools, Huntly, Aberdeenshire. He studied at Aberdeen University where he obtained 1st Class Honours in Law. Robert is a Solicitor and was senior Civil Partner with Ross Harper & Murphy Solicitors, Glasgow prior to his election. Robert Brown lives in Rutherglen with his wife and has a grown up daughter and son.

Public Activities

• Member of the Law Society of Scotland
• Honorary President of Overtoun Park Bowling Club
• Served two 5 year terms as Chair of Rutherglen & Cambuslang Citizens' Advice Bureau

Shettleston - Ross Renton

Ross Renton - Shettleston Candidate

Ross works in higher education as a Senior Lecturer. His current projects include widening participation in universities and helping to raise attainment in schools.

Ross was born in Glasgow and educated at the University of Strathclyde. He was a leading figure in student politics within the National Union of Students representing over 5 million people, holding senior posts in both Scotland and the UK.

He has wide ranging experience including previously being a Director of Endsleigh Insurance Ltd. and Chair of NUS Services Ltd. Ross has a record of winning for the people he represents, and is dedicated to giving a strong voice to Glasgow Shettleston.

Springburn - Stuart Grieve

List - Arthur Sanderson

Arthur Sanderson - List Candidate

Arthur enjoys hill-walking, the theatre, choral singing, learning languages (Portuguese, French, German, Latvian, Hausa, Ashanti Twi and Gaelic), and spending time with his family.

Public Activities

• Convener, Greater Glasgow Liberal Democrats since 2003
• Board member, Citizens' Theatre Glasgow
• Treasurer, The Claremont Trust - Scottish Charity SC002721
• Selector, Voluntary Service Overseas
• Volunteer community worker, The Well - Asian Advice and Information Centre, Govanhill
• Member, Scottish Episcopal Church Committee for Relations with Peoples of Other Faiths
• Member of the European Movement

Political Interests

• International development
• Transport
• The Arts

List - Isabel Nelson

Isabel Nelson - List Candidate

Isabel enjoys reading, current affairs, and spending time with her grandchildren.

Public Activity

Previously,

• Chair of Glasgow Central, Secretary of Glasgow South, Member of the Scottish Executive Liberal Democrats
• Vice Chair Glasgow Anti-dampness Campaign
• Chair of the Right to Warmth Campaign
• Board member of Energy Action Scotland

Currently,

• Treasurer of Greater Glasgow Liberal Democrats
• Secretary of Glasgow South Liberal Democrats
• Member of the Scottish Campaigns and Candidates Committee

Political Interests

Environment with special interest in energy conservation and fuel poverty, housing and education.