In brief:
- Let’s pick up the pace
- Get energised about opportunity before us
- Build our teams engage personally with our members
- Harness talents, train and empower to achieve
About:
Born in Ireland in 1958 to two teachers one of whom who taught Gaelic in the South and the other who taught in the North.
I and my 2 brothers lived and played in a mixed border community which was slowly ripped asunder by outsiders in the ‘troubles’ of the 70’s and 80’s as we progressed through our education. As teenagers we lost classmates and friends to these very ‘troubles’ on both sides of the divide.
Like so many of our generation two thirds of our family left Ireland scarred by the experience of intolerance and bigotry breaking the social fabric of our rural community. I left to study Pharmacy (my uncle wished me to take over his chemist shop in County Wicklow) in Leicester but in effect I partied and played rugby for a year before heading to the United States to ‘discover’ the world and myself.
Returning nearly a year later, I applied to join the Royal Navy – someone had to pay for my travel, education, and sport! I joined for 5 years with the intent to go to the North Sea on completion. 33 years later after multiple challenges I was dined out on the Royal Yacht in Leith, received a CBE from the Queen at Holyrood, and met my promise to Fiona, my life mentor and partner, to fight as hard as I could for Scottish Independence.
With Fiona a Fifer from the farming community of Cupar we threw ourselves into campaigning and selling the dream from 2012. We joined SNP on coming North, soon helping set up our own Branch in West Fife Villages and then moved our Ward from least canvassed to most so in the Dunfermline constituency in 2 years.
Disappointed but not de-energized by the Referendum result, we took committee posts on the Branch and Constituency Association. I became election agent to Douglas Chapman, Shirley-Anne Somerville and ultimately Neale Hanvey – when the party threw him to the wolves in the middle of the last Westminster campaign.
Disillusioned by the attempted destruction of Alex, I was delighted to see him, undaunted, return to the fray by forming the ALBA party and I joined it in that first heady rush of resurgent hope.
Since then, we have fought Holyrood Elections and by-elections with varying degrees of success. My fellow candidates Denise Findlay (the incumbent) and Leigh Wilson (election candidate selection Chair) have been key contributors working tirelessly for the party and I trust if I am successful, they will continue to serve ably in other roles.
As Neale Hanvey’s campaign organiser and election agent when he lost the SNP whip mid campaign – I identified and rebuilt our team in time to change strategy and deliver a Scottish Independent to Westminster for the first time in a century against the Labour Deputy leader (Lesley Laird).
My strengths are using others’ strengths to achieve the best results possible while having fun as a team.
I undertake to build a campaign organisation within each LACU by using all the talents available. A key lesson I took from my naval years is that a team need not be bosom friends but they can be very effective provided the goals and plan are committed to by all and the personal gives precedence to the team.
What a journey we have in front of us – excited yes, determined yes, and committed yes. Let’s pick up the pace.
Manifesto for Change
Join my team:
Contact:
hello@rob.alba.party
@ALBA_RobT on X
Endorsements:
Latest:
17/11/23 – Endorsement received by Ash Regan MSP
17/10/23 – Announced Q+A session on manifesto
16/10/23 – Endorsement received by Bob Milligan
15/10/23 – Endorsement received by William Gavin
15/10/23 – Endorsement received by Lesley Gavin
14/10/23 – Endorsement received by Kevan Shaw
13/10/23 – Endorsement received by Neale Hanvey MP
12/10/23 – Endorsement received by Stephen Lynas
12/10/23 – Endorsement received by Jim Eadie
12/10/23 – Campaign Launch with Manifesto for Change!
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