Livingston is my home.

I was born at Bangour Hospital, grew up in Craigshill, attended Broxburn Academy, swam with the Dedridge dolphins and played trumpet in the school wind band. Today, I couldn’t be prouder to represent the Livingston constituency, the area I grew up in.

Situated between Edinburgh and Glasgow, Livingston is an engaged and exciting community, and is one of the youngest and fastest-growing constituencies in Scotland. The town is is comprised of many smaller villages, such as Fauldhouse, Pumpherston, and Broxburn – each with its own strong identity, grounded in the coal and shale mining, railway, and manufacturing industries throughout Livingston’s history.

Livingston’s experience in innovation and invention has always compelled its citizens to strive into the future without losing its history. The oil industry began here: indeed, the first extraction of oil from coal and shale occurred in Livingston. The town has gone on to play its part in, for instance, the development of sonar scanning and bionic prosthetic limbs with Touch Bionics. Livingston also contributes a huge workforce for Mitsubishi, which is working hard to encourage our next generation to engage in STEM subjects: science, technology, engineering and maths.

Livingston is also home to many community projects, such as The Vennie in Knightsridge, which I’ve recently visited, and Firefly Arts, which is giving young people great opportunities to develop valuable life skills. Indeed, Livingston has so much to offer. If you have a story, a cause, or an event you’d like to share, or if you are a charity in the area, please send us a message: I’d love to show people what you and this town are working on next.

Constituency Spotlight