Political race begins to secure your vote
| Published date | 09 April 2021 |
| Date | 09 April 2021 |
| Publication title | Dumfries & Galloway Standard |
In Dumfriesshire, Tory Oliver Mundell - son of the area's MP David Mundell - has been the MSP since 2016.
The other candidates are Joan McAlpine, who has been a South Scotland MSP for the SNP, Colin Smyth, who has been a Labour South Scotland MSP, and Liberal Democrat councillor Richard Brodie.
In Galloway and West Dumfries, Finlay Carson, a former councillor, has held the seat for the last five years for the Tories.
He faces competition from the SNP's Emma Harper, who has served as South Scotland MSP, Labour councillor Archie Dryburgh, Laura Moodie from the Green Party and Iain McDonald from the Scottish Liberal Democrats.
Each week between now and polling day on Thursday, May 6, the Standard will be providing each of the constituency candidates with the opportunity to pitch for your vote.
There are also 83 candidates from 16 different parties for the seven South Scotland regional seats.
They are: Abolish the Scottish Parliament
Party: John Ferguson, Simon Bellord.
Alba Party: Cynthia Guthrie, Corri Wilson, Suzanne Blackley, Laurie Flynn.
All for Unity: George Galloway, Jamie Blackett, Bruce Halliday, Jim Grindlay, Kirsteen Michell, Elspeth Grindlay, Malcolm Macdonald.
Freedom Alliance - Integrity,
Society, Economy: Mandy Blackman, Amanda McConechy, Gillian Jamieson, Joy Rivett-Gill. Independent Green Voice: Maxwell Dunbar.
Reform UK: Michelle Ballantyne, David Kirkwood, James Corbett, William Luke. Scotia Future: Chic Brodie.
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party: Oliver Mundell,
Rachael Hamilton, Craig Hoy, Brian Whittle, Sharon Dowey, Shona Haslam, Finlay Carson, Scott Hamilton, Alex Allison, Eric Holford, Alexandra Herdman, John Denerley.
Scottish Family Party: Charles McEwan, Dorothy Yost, Sophie Hendry, Theresa Gavin, Ann Fabisiak.
Scottish Green Party: Laura
Moodie, Barbra Harvie, Dominic Ashmole, Katherine Malone, Charles Strang, Ciara Campbell, Peter Barlow, James Puchowski, Tristan Gray.
Scottish Labour Party: COLIN SMYTH, Carol Mochan, Martin
Whitfield, Claudia Beamish, Kevin McGregor, Katherine Sangster, Ian Davidson.
Scottish Liberal Democrats. :
Catriona Bhatia, Jenny Marr, RICHARD BRODIE, AC May, Euan Davidson, Amanda Kubie, Kirsten Herbst-Gray.
Scottish Libertarian Party: Stef Johnstone.
Scottish National Party: Emma Harper, JOAN MCALPINE, Paul Wheelhouse, Màiri; McAllan, Richard Walker, Heather Anderson, Siobhian Brown,
Stacy Bradley, Paul McLennan, Ali Salamati, Stephen Thompson, Laura Brennan-Whitefield.
UK Independence Party: Richard Elvin, Julia Searle, Patricia Mountain, Patricia Bryant, Nick Hollis, David Blaymires.
Vanguard Party: Michael Banks.
Count venue Counting for this year's election will take place over three days at DG1.
The count would normally begin as soon as polls close on May 6 but the coronavirus pandemic has forced a different approach.
Ballot boxes will be verified on Friday, May 7, with the counting and results for the two local constituencies taking place the following day. And on Sunday there will be the count for the South Scotland list seats.
Dumfriesshire constituency
COLIN SMYTH
LABOUR
When I was elected to the Scottish Parliament 2016, I could never have imagined that five years on we would be facing the twin challenges of Brexit and a devastating pandemic.
As we reflect on a year of lockdown, our thoughts are with those who have lost a loved one to COVID.
Too many lives and livelihoods have been needlessly lost.
We can't go back to the old arguments.
Arguing with each other, while our NHS and social care staff are desperate for the resources they need to care for our loved ones, our children miss out on a world-class education and too many of our young people leave our area, because we don't have the local jobs they need.
We need to focus on what unites us - not divides us and ensure the next Parliament delivers a recovery plan to help Dumfriesshire rebuild after the pandemic - developing an education catch up plan for every child, paying our carers a decent wage of at least £15 per hour...
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