Former Rutherglen and Hamilton West MP Margaret Ferrier explains why she is supporting Keith Brown in the SNP depute leadership race
I’VE been campaigning across the country over the last 10 months and the thing that’s coming across loud and clear from SNP activists is that we need to be ready for all elections and ready for referendums.
The depute leader candidate I see with the skills, dedication and vision to help us in that task is Keith Brown.
His organising abilities were clear when he joined the Scottish Government and shook up the transport brief, transforming the country’s reactions to adverse weather events and driving forward investment projects.
He’s continued that serious and effective work as a cabinet secretary with large-scale infrastructure projects such as the Queensferry Crossing.
I like the way he plans properly to deliver results and I like his plans for making sure members in every part of the country get a say in policy-making and organisation.
He also has the stamina to keep going, without ever giving up, and I think it’s important to know that the new depute leader will stay the course for as long as we need them to.
Keith takes his own decisions, he’s his own man and he accepts the responsibility for the outcome of those decisions, but it’s also clear that he can manage that while staying close to Nicola Sturgeon – just as he did with Alex Salmond beforehand.
He has that essential qualification to be depute leader: he’s in a position where he can deputise for the leader.
A politician who takes decisions, accepts the responsibility for them, works with Nicola but doesn’t need to check everything off with her – that’s the person I think can transform the party, gear the SNP up and get us ready for elections and referendums.
Let’s get ready – Vote Keith Brown.
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