Brian Thomson (Scottish Labour)

Who is he?

Scottish Labour candidate for North East Fife.

Brian is 42 years old, married and has three children. He lives in St Andrews and went to Canongate Primary and Madras College.

He is a member of St Andrews Golf Club and Fife Athletics Club.

This is his first time standing as a Westminster candidate.

Working life:

He has a degree in town planning from Heriot-Watt University, and has worked in the public and private sectors as a town planner.

In 2012, he became the the first Labour member to be elected as a Councillor in the area. 

He works full-time as a project manager in Dundee University's Estates & Buildings Department managing major construction projects.

 

Scottish Labour election pledges:

  • fully-costed manifesto to cut the UK's deficit every year and balance the budget as quickly as they can within the next five years. 

  • To spend a further £2.5 billion on the NHS, most of which paid for by a mansion tax on properties worth more than £2 million.

  • minimum wage of more than £8 an hour by 2019. 

  • A freeze energy bills for two years and give energy regulator Ofgem the power to cut fuel bills by winter. 

  • No rise in VAT, National Insurance, or basic and higher rates of income tax. 

  • Access to childcare from 8am-6pm for parents of primary school pupils. 

About North East Fife

The constituency is the largest in Fife, in terms of landmass, it has a population of more than 75,000. St Andrews, Leven and Cupar are the largest towns.

St. Andrews is the home of golf, and along with the Old Course, features the town's University, which at 604, is the third oldest in the UK after Oxford and Cambridge.

The constituency contains 31 primary schools and four secondaries, which will reduce to three when Kirkland and Buckhaven merge.

Former MP Sir Menzies Campbell stepped down from his role after 27 years representing the area at Westminster. The Liberal Democrats are defending a majority of 9,048, he received 44.3% of the local vote in 2010. The Conservatives have finished second in every election Sir Ming has won, while the SNP gained the seat at the 2011 Scottish Parliamentary elections after 12 years of Lib Dem representation. Labour have traditionally finished third or fourth in this area.

The main constituency issues - in his opinion:

Who else Is standing here:

Andy Collins, Scottish Greens

Huw Bell, Scottish Conservatives

Mike Scott-Hayward, Independent

Stephen Gethins, Scottish National Party

Tim Brett, Liberal Democrats

Why Brian Thomson thinks you should vote for him: