Why stand as an Independent Candidate

How did I get here?

Standing as an independent candidate is thankfully nothing new here in the Eilean a’  Cheò Ward for The Highland Council. Following Calum Munro’s announcement at the start of the year that he was to stand down, I spoke to a few people, including Calum himself and John Finlayson, both Independent Councillors about what was involved. I considered the responsibility and how the workload would tie into what I am already doing. At no point did I think about joining a political party.

What those conversations did confirm is that being a councillor is similar to the work of being a development officer, but on a different scale and slightly different way. I have worked in community development in variety of roles since 2012. The roles I have loved most have involved working with people to get their voices heard. This is a logical next step in my commitment to prioritising the needs and voices of the people.

In high school, one of my favourite teachers was explained party politics to us in class. His explanation used buses. We are all trying to get somewhere specific, but the buses only follow a specific route. Party politics works in the same way. The political party is following their own policies and ideologies. So when you are voting it is for the one that gets you the closest to where you are wanting to be. Independent Councillors are like the small, flexible bus company that responds to the real needs of its local customers, rather than the pull to of honeypot destinations.

I actually had someone ask me on my very first day canvasing if I was truly an Independent Candidate. I’ve never been a member of any party. Growing up around predominantly Labour voters has influenced me, but the modern parties are unrecognisable to their previous policies.

Being an Independent Candidate means that you do not have the resources of a party machine, however it has opened my eyes to who is around me – from organising the leaflets, finding out how to book a door drop, social media accounts, the website, information packs, the nomination form – throughout all of it, I have been grateful and inspired by the amazing people who have stepped up and support me. I do not know everything, but I do know where to find the people that do. It takes a village to grow and Independent Candidate’s campaign.

Far too often, a party agenda drowns out the voices of the people. I hear it so often that people feel ignored and overlooked. As an independent councillor, I can promise to put people front and centre.

Anyone that’s met me knows that I love a blether. I talk through problems and opportunities with my friends. It is how I make sense of things. What makes the difference, what promotes change, is when we look at why there is an issue, what could be done collectively to fix it, and how to prevent it happening again. I am not looking for blame – I am looking for practical solutions.

We saw during Covid the way communities were able to bypass the usual red-tape and create workable solutions to problems that arose. I am able to work between party politics in the same way. Often the answers have already been suggested. We need to listen and work together.

My background in engagement has led me to be involved in making sure everyone in an area has their voice heard. My focus will be to make sure that the ways constituents can influence what is happening are as simple as possible. Community Councils need supported, information needs to be easily found.

The election process has been entirely new to me. The staff of The Highland Council, the Councillors, and everyone else who is helping me find my feet, have been an invaluable network of support.

I recognise that not everyone has a readily contactable network of support when faced with a problem. I have always been contactable when I’ve worked in a community support role, and as a Councillor I will be no different. We need to trust that those representing us are authentic, genuine, and will support us. I am doing this independently of a party because I believe that if I can rely on the people of Skye and Raasay to get me into The Highland Council, they can rely on me when I am there.

Being an independent candidate is not just a personal choice; it is call for people to work together. Standing as an Independent Candidate is not a lack of conviction; it is the courage, conviction, and ongoing dedication to work for the people. This will be a challenge, but I have never been one to shy away. Together, we can prove it is a powerful force for meaningful progress.