“Of course you can do it,” he said.

"You’re smart enough, hard enough and committed enough

“The fact you don’t want to do it is exactly why you make such a good candidate.

“Why would you be nervous talking at public meetings when you could be an Olympic champion at talking, you never shut up and the first thing sunburnt when we go on holiday is your tongue!” 

All of the above are things Tommy said to convince me to accept the offer of Solidarity members in West Scotland to stand as their top of the List candidate in the forthcoming Scottish Parliament elections in May.

Even although I’ve been involved in the world of politics for nearly 25 years alongside Tommy in nearly every type of election from local Council Elections to European and Westminster elections, and of course  Scottish elections,  I didn’t think I was good enough and needed a bucket load of convincing!

Tommy then began highlighting some of the things I have already done in my life and convinced me to give it a go.

After all, surviving 25 years as a cabin crew member with British Airways didn’t just mean dealing with the turbulence during flights. We also had many occasions when it was necessary to stand up for our hard won rights, and defend our wages and conditions.

British Airways was a massive company with some very hard-nosed managers. I was the elected shop steward in Glasgow and often had to stick up for and represent fellow staff in a variety of situations. Representing people is what being an MSP is essentially about so I suppose if I could represent my fellow workers I can also represent the people of West Scotland.

I still worry about all the political gobbledygook as I am not a political anorak like Tommy. I don’t live and breathe politics. I can’t quote chapter and verse about the Russian or Cuban revolutions like him. On the other hand is that necessary?

I have served as the vice-chair on my local community council for over 10 years. I have been the elected chair of Gabrielle’s school Parent Council for the last five years. I know the issues which trouble communities and I have a rough idea of how important decisions are taken which affect communities so…why not throw my hat in the electoral ring? I reckon I am quite an approachable and compassionate person so if I am elected I will try and help those who seek it.

I am as passionate about my country as anyone. I believe it should be free of Westminster and we should always get the government we vote for. That is basic democracy. I certainly support the call for another referendum as I feel many people were deliberately misled, bullied and lied to about the consequences of a YES vote in September 2014.

The horrible cuts in welfare and public services being implemented by the Tories have no mandate here, yet the poor, the vulnerable and the disabled are suffering more than anyone.

I am a big believer in unilateral nuclear disarmament and have attended scores of anti-Trident events. I simply cannot accept as a mother and Christian that billions being devoted to weapons which can quite literally destroy the planet and everyone living in it can ever be justified. My opposition to nuclear weapons is therefore first and foremost a moral argument. These indiscriminate weapons are quite simply immoral. The fact they are also illegal only deepens my resolve to oppose them. The economic case is the least important and yet the weakest ground for those who support these weapons. If the billions spent on Trident were instead spent on health, housing and education we could create many more jobs and support many more families. The economic case for Trident is therefore nonsense.

As a trade unionist throughout my working life I am also very committed to the trade union movement and the rights of workers to be paid a living wage and be protected by proper contracts of employment. If a job is worth doing it is worth doing well and proper pay and conditions should be a basic human right.

 I hate the term ‘working poor’. Why on earth is anyone working poor? We need to fight for a living wage across Scotland not just a minimum wage which guarantees nothing but struggle and poverty. If society can afford obscene salaries for those at the top it can certainly afford a living wage for everyone else.

So there you have it. I am a trade union supporting socialist who believes in an independent Scotland and getting rid of nuclear weapons. That is my basic platform and as ‘pain in the a**e’ Tommy keeps saying, what’s the use of moaning about how things are done if I’m not prepared to stand for election and try and improve things?

I will probably regret it but for the next few months I will be on campaign mode.