Stephen Gethins (SNP)

Who is he?

Scottish National Party candidate for North East Fife.

Stephen is 39 and married with a young daughter. He now lives in Cupar, moving from Edinburgh. He grew up in Perth and attended Perth Academy.

Working life:

Stephen has a degree in Law from the University of Dundee, specialising in Public International Law.

He also has a Research Masters from the University of Kent on the role devolved parliaments have in preventing and resolving conflict between different ethnic groups.

Mr Gethins' most recent role was as a Special Advisor to Alex Salmond on European and International matters, and Rural Affairs, Energy, and Climate Change.

Stephen has worked in peace-building, arms control and promoting democracy in the Balkans, in the border between Europe and Asia, and the former Soviet Union.

He also worked at Scotland Europa, helping Scottish organisations gain influence and funding in the EU.

SNP election pledges:

Modest spending increase of 0.5% a year, allowing £140 billion in extra spending.
Annual UK target of 100,000 affordable homes, with added spending benfits for Scotland as a result.
To increase the minimum wage to £8.70 by 2020.
Restore the 50p top rate of income tax for people earning more than £150,000 a year.
Build an alliance of like-minded MPs against the renewal of Trident, instead using the funds to pay for schools and hospitals.
Retain the "triple lock" on pensions to rise at least 2.5% every year, and protect the winter fuel allowance.

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.