Former healthcare advocate selected by Lib Dems for West Scotland list

Scottish Liberal Democrats have today announced that former healthcare advocate and charity worker Adam Harley will be the party's lead candidate on the West Scotland regional list at next year’s Scottish Parliament election.

Adam grew up in Bishopbriggs where he now lives with his wife and son. He originally worked in the theatre and arts before moving over to the charity sector, fighting for the rights of people with cystic fibrosis to access life-saving medicines.

He has volunteered for organisations educating children from disadvantaged backgrounds. This includes working with community groups supporting young people in danger of becoming involved in the criminal justice system, helping them turn their lives around.

Adam is also contesting the key target seat of Strathkelvin and Bearsden, which heavily overlaps with the Mid Dunbartonshire constituency won by Liberal Democrat Susan Murray last year.

Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for West Scotland Adam Harley said:

“The West of Scotland is my home. It’s where I grew up, and where I’m now raising a young family. I want better for the people who make up its communities – many of them have felt totally let down by politics and politicians for years.

“Under the SNP, people in the West of Scotland can’t get a GP appointment when they need it. They’re worried about their mum or dad waiting months for treatment or stuck in hospital because they can’t get a care home place. They’re fed up with constant ferry cancellations and the price of everything going through the roof.

“My time in the charity and voluntary sectors has shown me that if you want to make a difference, you’ve got to work hard and get stuck in. That’s why I’ve already knocked on thousands of doors - to meet people, find out what matters most to them and what they need done. I'm already getting people asking me for help and I'm not even their MSP yet.

“More than anything, being dad to a wee boy motivates me to get elected and change things for the better. For too long, it feels like the country has been going in the wrong direction – we desperately need to turn things around. As an MSP for the West of Scotland, I will put my heart and soul into delivering the change our area needs.”

Local party convenor Grant Toghill said:

“It is great to see Adam selected as our top candidate for the West Scotland regional list. He is experienced and hard working campaigner who will be a strong champion for the whole of West Scotland including here in Renfrewshire.

“We have a Scottish Government that has been in too long, losing focus on local communities. From towns like Paisley and Renfrew, to villages like Bishopton and Bridge of Weir it is clear people are crying out for change after being let down by the SNP, Conservatives and Labour.”

“Voters in Renfrewshire and across West Scotland can make that happen by backing the Scottish Liberal Democrats next May.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

“I’m delighted that Adam has been selected for the West Scotland list. He’s got the talent, drive and charisma to speak up for communities on the issues that matter most.

“On the SNP’s watch, health, education and the economy have all taken a battering. In this part of the country, ferries have become the ultimate symbol of that neglect. People have been let down by the SNP, Conservatives and Labour. They want change.

"If you feel as if you have been let down by the parties in power, come with us.

“Next May, everyone in West Scotland has a chance to demand change by putting a cross next to the Scottish Liberal Democrats on their peach regional ballot paper. That’s how we can get local champions like Adam elected to parliament and end 18 years of SNP failure.”