I am standing to be the National Chair of the Scottish Young Conservatives because I am
passionate about young people getting involved and being taken seriously in party politics
and I am ambitious for what the SYC can become.
I have been involved in party politics for the past four years. During this time, I have gained a
wide variety of experience in different settings and situations. I have campaigned for the
party, in by-elections, parliamentary elections and local government elections. I myself ran
as a candidate in West Dunbartonshire in the 2022 Local Government Elections and
managed the social media campaigns of myself and other candidates. Across the time, I
have also worked for MSPs in various roles and assisted Councillors in their work.
It is my experience in politics that has motivated me to stand for National Chair of the SYC
as I believe that improving the relationship between young Conservatives and the party
would be of great benefit to both the party itself and the young people that support it. Young
people are the future of the Scottish Conservative Party. We are the next generation of
Councillors, MSPs, MPs and activists and it is important that we are taken seriously, listened
to and given something back in return for our dedication to the party.
I have spent the last year as the SYC West Region Chair so I have firsthand experience of
being on the board, how the board works and dealing with the party. It is this experience that
I believe will make me a competent and qualified National Chair as I know what the position
requires and what is expected of me and I am prepared to commit myself to delivering for
the young Conservatives living in Scotland.
Currently, I am a Law & Politics student at the University of Glasgow, where I am the
Outreach Officer for the Conservative Society. It is through being involved in a university
Conservative society that I know how important they are for socialising. I want to bring the
university associations across Scotland together to create good relationships and
connections between them. I also want to offer that social life to YCs outside of university
associations, which is why I want to create a calendar of events for all young Conservatives
in Scotland so they can meet new people.
I am also the communications officer for the West Dunbartonshire Conservative Association,
where I doubled our social media reach during the first year I took over. It is through this
position that I have run social media for Councillors, MSPs and election campaigns, which
has illustrated the importance of social media to me. This is why I want to build upon the
strong social media that the previous boards have built up so we can reach more YCs in
Scotland and build relationships with YC groups across the UK.
If elected as National Chair, there are seven key policies as laid out in my manifesto, that I
believe would improve the SYC’s relationship with young people and wider party members,
and benefit young Conservatives in Scotland:
1. Ensure every association has an SYC representative.
Associations and grassroot members are at the heart of our party. It is important that the
SYC has a good relationship with the wider party membership and associations so that we
can work together to strengthen the SYC and take a more unified approach to supporting young people in the party. Having an SYC representative in every association would ensure that SYCs are represented and their voices heard.
2. Hold an SYC event at Scottish and UK Conference.
Having events at Scottish Confederence and UK Conference is a core part of my vision for
the SYC. This will allow us to connect with the wider party and connect with groups of young
people who have been missed out by traditional young Conservative events. Additionally, I
will also look into the feasibility of organising a fringe event at national conference. I want to
ensure that YCs have the opportunity to socialise and meet other young Conservatives from
across the country.
3. Hold national and regional events.
An important part of politics that is often overlooked is the social life it can provide. Being a
young Conservative in Scotland is not always easy, especially in areas like my own where
Conservatism and Conservatives are not accepted, and I know that it can be isolating. That
is why if elected, I would hold social events in every region so that YCs had the opportunity
to meet other like minded young people. I would also hold national events to bring young
Conservatives from both inside and outside of university associations together to discuss
ideas and make connections.
4. Arrange an annual consultation with the party.
I want the opinions and ideas of young Conservatives to be heard and to be taken into
consideration on a wider scale. I am proposing an annual consultation, to be fed directly to
the management board of the party. This would be carried out with young Conservatives all
across Scotland so that they could have a say in the future of the party and the policies that
affect them.
5. Expand the SYC Internship scheme.
Last year, the first ever SYC Internship scheme was launched and was a great success.
This year I want to build on that by increasing the number of opportunities available to our
young members. From day one, I would work with MSPs, MPs and Councillors to offer more
places for YCs in Scotland to help them get vital experience in politics.
6. Grow the SYC social media.
Social media is vitally important for the SYC to expand beyond university associations and
reach YCs in more rural areas. For that reason, I will make sure that it is brought back and
utilised to its full potential. I would restart the SYC Facebook page, make sure all social
media platforms were kept active and ensure that the work and achievements of our SYCs
was publicised and celebrated.
7. Send out a monthly newsletter.
It is incredibly important that YCs know what opportunities and events are available to them
and what the SYC are working on for them. That is why I would set up and send out a
monthly newsletter so that every young Conservative in Scotland is aware of everything the
SYC is working on and has equal knowledge and access to events, internships and
everything else we are organising or involved in. Better communication between the SYC
and its members is essential to grow and develop the group.
