Falkirk councillors bidding to be SNP candidate to fill Michael Matheson vacancy

Michael Matheson, who was first elected to Holyrood in 1999, has been Falkirk West MSP since 2007.

Over the years, he held successive cabinet posts, including Health Minister, until he resigned amid a scandal over use of a parliamentary iPad that ran up an £11,000 bill on a family holiday.

The ongoing backlash meant his decision not to stand again as an MSP did not surprise many when he announced it in March.

And those now keen to fill that vacancy include local councillors Gary Bouse and Iain Sinclair, who both hope their roots in their respective communities will serve them well as they bid to become the SNP candidate for Falkirk West’s next representative at Holyrood.

Gary Bouse, who has lived in the Falkirk area for 35 years and represents Carse, Kinnaird and Tryst, says he has had “really positive feedback” since announcing his intention to stand.

“It’s time to stop talking about things and just get things done,” he says.

As his campaign takes off, Councillor Bouse can point to many ways he has offered practical help to the community over the eight years he has been a councillor.

He found premises for local charity KLSB’s food pantry as demand soared during the pandemic; he helped Larbert High School source materials to make vital visors while PPE was hard to get; and he has worked with others, including local business Carron Phoenix and community police officers, to tackle anti-social behaviour around Stenhousemuir.

A joiner to trade, he became a specialist in building preservation and now works as a commercial manager alongside his duties as a councillor.

“When I say I’m hard working, I mean it,” he says.

First elected to Falkirk Council in 2018, he was re-elected with an increased vote and says he “absolutely loves” being a councillor.

“It’s sometimes very difficult and sometimes you’ve got to make decisions you don’t want to make, although there will be good reasons behind it.

“But you also get the joy of working with people and then you see results when you’re able to help people,” he said.

“I get to see some of the most harrowing cases and you’ve got to try and help in whatever way you possibly can.”

Having thrown his hat in the ring to become the area’s MP in 2024, he says he learned a lot from that campaign and now has a solid team in place who are supporting him.

“When you’re a councillor you try and make a difference locally but by becoming MSP I’m looking to make a difference for the entire Falkirk area rather than just an individual ward,” he said.

Fellow SNP councillor, Iain Sinclair, who has represented Falkirk North since 2022, is currently the SNP’s portfolio holder for education.

Councillor Sinclair, who lives in Langlees, says he has played a leading role in successive elections for the SNP for nearly 20 years.

He also knows the Scottish Parliament well, having worked with various local politicians, including MSP Michelle Thomson, who is also stepping down at the next election.

“I have found being a councillor challenging, but it’s a welcome challenge – there are no two days the same, there are always people who need your help and assistance and there are always big decisions that need to be made.

“I think part of the frustration with Falkirk Council is that big decisions that needed to be made upwards of 15 years that weren’t taken at that point have come home to roost.

“We have to take decisions that ultimately lead to improvements in people’s lives.

“It’s a very fulfilling role and being a councillor that lives in the ward he serves – in one of the most deprived communities in Scotland – there’s a lot of work I can see that could be done to help and improve things.

“That’s what led me to stand as a councillor.

“I see being the next SNP MSP for Falkirk West as a huge opportunity to lay the groundwork for further improvements at a national level and ultimately build public trust and confidence in the people who are elected to serve.

“Politicians and elected officials feel very detached from their communities and I’m different – I’m immersed in my community.

“I know what they are going through because I face the same things that they do.”

Mr Sinclair admits that the past two years have been a real challenge for the SNP, nationally and locally, and he says its time to get back to “good governance” and persuading people of the relevance of self-determination.

“There’s only one way to deliver independence and that is through rebuilding the public trust and confidence that was, somehow, taken for granted recently,” he said.

“There is no room for complacency, and the 2026 Scottish Parliament election is a must-win for the SNP – we need the right candidate leading the right campaign to get the right result.”

Also hoping to be selected are Callum Cox and Toni Giugliano.

Voting for SNP members opens on April 22 and closes on May 7.