Campaigning begins in Scottish Labour’s biggest ever regional list selection

Scottish Labour is set for its biggest regional list selection ever, with 106 candidates shortlisted to be chosen by members in January.

Following Kezia Dugdale’s commitment to a 50:50 Parliament earlier in the year, the group of potential candidates takes Scottish Labour a step closer to ensuring that at least 50% of new candidates for next year’s Holyrood elections will be women.

Speaking as the shortlists for every region were revealed, Kezia Dugdale said:

“This is one of the most diverse shortlists of candidates that Scottish Labour has ever offered. At least half of our new Holyrood candidates next year will be women – and this shortlist takes us a step closer to a 50:50 Parliament. Our Parliament should look like the communities we seek to serve, and we will lead the way in making sure that women across Scotland have a voice.

We want candidates next year who reflect modern Scotland and demonstrate to people that the Scottish Labour Party offers not just new faces, but new ideas to take our country forward. These candidates are drawn from every walk of life and many professions – charity workers, campaigners, lawyers, business people, office workers, creatives and trade unionists can all be found on this list.

I’m really proud of the candidates we are putting forward and I hope this process energises and engages party members across the country.”

Members will vote throughout January, with an announcement of the order of each regional list made in early February. Lists will be ‘zipped’ to ensure gender parity with subsequent list positions alternating between men and women.

Ballots open on Monday 4th January and close on Monday 1st February. Results will be announced on the weekend of 5th-7th February.

List of Shortlisted Candidates

Central Scotland

Allyson Black
Martyn Cook
Angela Feeney
Hugh Gaffney
Linda Gow
Mark Griffin
Liz Ann Handibode
Paul Kelly
Jim Lee
Monica Lennon
Richard Leonard
Craig Martin
Margaret McCulloch
Siobhan McMahon
Michael McMahon
Heather McVey
John Pentland
Elaine Smith
Mandy Telford
Richard Tullett

Glasgow

James Adams
Bill Butler
Patricia Ferguson
Marie Garrity
James Kelly
Johann Lamont
Simon MacFarlane
Hanzala Malik
Paul Martin
Pauline McNeill
Anne McTaggart
Samantha Ritchie
Anas Sarwar
Soryia Siddique

Highlands and Islands

Sarah Atkin
Robina Barton
John Erskine
Leah Franchetti
Rhoda Grant
Gerry McGarvey
Sean Morton
David Stewart

Lothians

(First position: Kezia Dugdale)

Sarah Boyack
Jalal Chaudry
Richard Corrall
Neil Findlay
Bernard Harkins
Catriona Headley
Ann Henderson
Lesley Hinds
Daniel Johnson
Shami Khan
Eilidh MacDonald
Angela Moohan
Otis Manasseh Ortesheh

Mid Scotland and Fife

(First position: Alex Rowley)

Claire Baker
Jayne Baxter
Rebecca Bell
Johanna Boyd
Altany Craik
Thomas Docherty
Jamie Glackin
Cara Hilton
Mark Hood
Chris Kane
Lesley Laird
Jim Leishman
Mary Lockhart
Craig Miller
Kay Morrison

North East Scotland

Lewis Macdonald
Jenny Marra
Lesley Brennan
Sarah Duncan
Alison Evison
Frank Gilfeather
Richard McCready
Joanne McFadden
Nathan Morrison
William Young

South Scotland

Claudia Beamish
Andrew Cochran
Fiona Dugdale
Iain Gray
Kenryck Lloyd-Jones
Carol Mochan
Fiona O’Donnell
Colin Smyth

West Scotland

Shiraz Ahmed
Jackie Baillie
Johanna Baxter
Neil Bibby
Gail Casey
Joseph Cullinane
Alison Dowling
Mary Fee
Ken Macintosh
Mark MacMillan
Ian McAlpine
Margaret McCarthy
Martin McCluskey
Siobhan McCready
Angela McGinley
Ben Procter
Moira Ramage
Paul Sweeney

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13 thoughts on “Campaigning begins in Scottish Labour’s biggest ever regional list selection

    1. As I understand it there will be a single ranked list on the ballot paper, rather than a separate male and female ballot, and the zipped order will be decided on the basis of:

      • Woman with the most votes
      • Man with the most votes
      • Woman with the second most votes
      • Man with the second most votes
      • etc.
      1. Was ‘zipping’ previously undertaken in that male & female candidates were paired up (zipped) and you then you voted for the paired individuals as a two person team ? The new zipping looks more like a quota system where you will have equal number of male and female candidates in a given area? if it’s a quota system why call it zipping ? #confused.com

        1. Hey David. I think what you’re thinking of is twinning, which is used in constituency selections where two constituencies are twinned together, and then the combined selectorate of both constituencies chooses one man and one woman. I think the method used in the regional lists is called zipping merely because it is designed to ensure that male and female candidates are alternated down the list, woman, man, woman, man etc.

          Hope that helps!

  1. Is the Mid Scotland and Fife list cirrect? Our local paper thinks Craig Miller should not be in the list

  2. Very interesting. A few impostors have managed to get on some of the lists. I.e people who do not deserve to be there. In my opinion I should add.

  3. So naebody in Labour is going to bother with contesting Constituency seats this time around then?

    Cant say I blame you.

    Mind you at least Labour is guaranteed to get the gender balance perfect. It will be zero per gender or a 1:1 ratio.

  4. Shame there is no Cathy Jamieson on the list, or indeed many like her.
    A real person, who has worked hard for ordinary people.

    Too many who slithered up the greasy pole by dint of patronage, or cronyism or because your daddy is so-and-so.

    1. Did Cathy Jamieson put herself forward for nomination to the regional list?

      I see lots of very hardworking people listed here, and all of them face a democratic vote of Labour members in January to decide their inclusion on, and position within, each list. No patronage or cronyism there, is there?

      It seems to me your ill-informed rant is pretty baseless.

      1. I’ll repeat what I said—“shame there is no Cathy Jamieson on the list”.

        I did not claim she had put herself forward, only that its a shame people of her ilk are not contesting the election.

        As for cronyism, I could refer you to my own area, where Graeme Pearson, one of Labour’s few success’s at Holyrood, who found himself omitted firstly from the candidates list, and then a Trades Union boss’s son, according to the local paper, gained preference.
        As for the rest, good luck. If they are up to the job, then more power to them, but I see James Kelly has got his marching orders for his usual utter buffoonery in Parliament. Wouldnt take much to be an improvement on him—perhaps you disagree?

        1. So you weren’t trying to imply that Cathy and people like her were being excluded then? Funny, it read like you were. And so does this reply.

          Graeme Pearson announced he was standing down as an MSP long before the lists were drawn up! I agree he’s a real loss to Parliament.

          1. I like and respect Jamieson, gold among the dross. I cannot help how you read implications into comments that simply aren’t there. Perhaps you are getting a tad paranoid.

            As for Pearson, now that is a puzzle. I can only go with what was in the local press—now I know not to believe all that’s written, but this story was also repeated in the Herald. His name and details were omitted when candidates backgrounds were sent out, so requiring a reissue.
            Perhaps he retired when he saw the way the wind was blowing.

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