The candidates for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross say why they should represent the UK’s most northerly mainland constituency
Though the race to represent Caithness, Sutherland and Easter at Westminster appears to be between the Liberal Democrats and the SNP there are a total of seven candidates in the race.
Here we asked all but the two frontrunners why they should represent in the most northerly mainland UK constituency, which is not just one of the most beautiful but one of the most vulnerable too.
How personal tragedy unites the frontrunners for the far north seat and influences their politics
Divided over the nuclear option: How Stone and Beattie disagree over new atomic energy for Caithness
The vast potential of renewables along with the impact this may well have on the landscape is becoming clearer amid the race to net zero, so we asked what their priorities are.
Steve Chisholm, Alba Party
The Alba Party offers a clear plan to achieve Scottish Independence. Support for independence remains at over 50% in Scotland despite much lower polling figures for the SNP. The Alba Party is the natural home for those seeking an early and clear path to Independence.
A Highlander, born in Inverness and raised in Lochaber I am a committed advocate for the future of Scotland. I have lived the Scottish experience, from the classroom in a small village to Boardrooms across the globe and have a track record of getting things done.
For some years now I have been a key figure, working hard to bring inward investment and jobs into the Highlands. That initiative is already winning for the Highlands with £750 Million of investment committed, 600 jobs secured and the first factory for renewables manufacturing already under construction. Inward investment opportunities total over £3 Billion in value and would bring over 10,000 well paid, sustainable jobs to halt the curse of depopulation. As your MP I will work to ensure we have real economic growth in the Highlands, across the length and breadth of the constituency.
Fulfilling this potential requires that we address the housing crisis here in the Highlands and invest in our education, health and our transport infrastructure. Alba understands how to create and support real economic growth and deliver a brighter, more prosperous future for our young folk and future generations to come.
Fiona Fawcett, Scottish Conservatives
Why me? Because I am the best candidate to beat the renewables explosion and I am calling for an immediate moratorium on all renewable projects and for a full Public Inquiry and empowerment and reward of local people. I care passionately about our wildlife, marine environment and landscape, culture and heritage and I will fight without mercy to protect our way of life from Central Belt decision making.
I have a lifetime of experience helping people solve serious problems and I am a strong advocate. I am honest, trustworthy and work with professional integrity. As an expert in 'NHS speak’ I will ensure better provision of healthcare services, more doctors, dentists and carers by creating a Golden Circuit for jobs.
I will make sure the young have hope, a better education, more empowered teachers, better skills training and top quality jobs along with quality affordable housing to give them a reason to stay. I call it my Phoenix Project. I will insist our roads and air links are improved and the A9 made safer and that balanced tourism works both ways. I will try to make life easier to live for us all.
The Highlands need strength from their MP's and an ability to put local people before Party and if you elect me you won’t just be sending me to Westminster you will be sending ‘us’!
Eva Kestner, Scottish Labour
I am honoured to be the Scottish Labour Party candidate for Caithness, Sutherland, and Easter Ross. My political journey began here, working alongside Highlands and Islands MSPs as a parliamentary researcher at both the European Parliament and Holyrood. Personal circumstances took me to London, where I moved into charity operations and finance, including leadership roles in the Violence Against Women sector.
Politics today is full of polarised debate, slogans, and chaos, with little action on the needs of people. If elected, I will champion transparency, pragmatism, and community engagement. Too often over the last decades, the needs of this community have been sidelined and ignored.
Whether it’s improving roads across the vast road network or addressing the appalling situation with maternity services, I will work with the community to achieve the change they need.
My and the Scottish Labour Party’s commitments are clear: we will stabilise the economy by implementing tough spending rules to keep taxes, inflation, and mortgages low; invest in our NHS by funding 160,000 additional appointments yearly to reduce NHS backlogs; establish a publicly owned GB Energy, headquartered in Scotland, to cut bills and boost energy security; ban zero-hour contracts, end fire and rehire practices, and deliver a genuine living wage; create real opportunities and support for young people; and maximise Scotland’s influence.
Sandra Skinner, Reform UK
Leaving school with no qualifications I returned as a mature student to complete an Engineering Degree, then later, while at home with my young children a Masters in Construction Law – both demonstrating my motivation and commitment to succeed!
An international career in Offshore Fabrication and more recently Renewables, provided me the commercial awareness to positively affect the environmental, economic and employment challenges we face.
If elected as MP for Caithness Sutherland and Easter Ross I will strive to deliver the essentials advocated by ReformUK to benefit our community.
Why support ReformUK now? Listening to people across the constituency the concerns raised are failing public services, cost of living, a shrinking economy and consequential depopulation.
Although the decision making powers for public services lie with the Scottish Government, a growing UK economy will generate the additional funds needed to repair them.
ReformUK’s high growth, high wage, low tax Economic Plan, raising the tax threshold and making work pay, lowering energy bills and removing small businesses from Corporation Tax is key to delivering the economic growth our country needs.
Highly-skilled local jobs are essential to repopulate our area, for 20 years the Political Parties represented here today, allowed those promised renewable jobs to go overseas! Worse, when contracts remained local, cheap foreign labour was deployed - only ReformUK will incentivise businesses to employ British citizens!
Vote more of the same we will get more of the same - is what we have working for you? It is time for Reform.
Anne Thomas, Scottish Greens
I live in North Kessock, Black Isle. I’ve delivered community projects like the community larder, community markets, planting fruit trees, cycle projects and solar panels for my church.
Through working as a Speech Therapist I understand the pressures facing the NHS and Council. Cuts coming from Westminster have impacted both.
If my grandchildren live to 100 like my Mum I fear for their future. If we don’t address climate change it will undermine everything else. It costs to address it, but will cost far more not to. It is wreaking havoc around the globe. There’s a closing window of opportunity to avoid the worst.
Scottish Greens want a just, green transition, creating thousands of jobs and reducing energy bills and no new oil and gas. The Highlands generates far more power than we use. Westminster control means some of the highest utility prices. Greens want public and community ownership retaining money here, to scrap unfair standing charges and decouple electricity from gas prices, bringing prices down.
Greens want safe routes for refugees, including Palestinians. Greens stand up against genocide whoever is perpetrating it.
During 14 years of austerity, five with Lib Dems, the rich have got richer and the poor cannot heat or eat. Affordable housing, public transport, healthcare and childcare help stop depopulation, support small businesses and enable our communities to thrive.
We need a fairer tax system, including a wealth tax and basic income, so nobody falls through the cracks. Vote like our future depends on it. It does.
