Professional Forth Valley golfer hopes voters will swing his way as he tees off his bid for Westminister

Brian Leishman, who is the golf pro at Schawpark golf course in Sauchie, has been selected to fight for the seat at the next general election.

No stranger to politics, Brian has represented Perth City North as a Labour councillor since 2022, and was selected by Labour Party members as an MP candidate earlier in the year.

He makes no secret about what attracted him to politics.

“I was in a position a growing number of people found themselves in – deciding whether I could heat my home or eat a meal, walking round the supermarket doing the sums to see what can be afforded and what has to be left behind so my child doesn’t go without.

"It was that personal experience that made me decide I couldn’t just sit back and leave it to others. I realised I had to do something to help bring about change.”

He hopes to achieve just that after launching his campaign, stating foodbank reliance has gone from 60,000 in 2010 to 3,000,000 in 2023.

“That alone shows that this government isn’t working for people and society is broken,” he said.

He believes the same can be said for the SNP in education.

“The attainment gap between the most and least advantaged children is becoming wider and wider while the SNP rigidly stick with policies that are making the gap worse.“It’s not just school children that are falling behind, our colleges and universities are seeing their funding stripped back meaning that education as a way of lifting people out of poverty is being closed off.

“It’s not just our services that need investment, our people do too. When this happens then all our communities improve.”

He says he has enjoyed some good feedback during the early stages of his campaign.

“We have a good core Labour vote in the constituency. It’s been fantastic having the support of party members with me, speaking with residents and hearing what matters most to them. All politics is local and the best way to hear what’s going on in communities is to speak with and more importantly listen to people.

“The positive reception isn’t just from Labour voters – we have listened to many SNP voters who are fed up with the broken promises, costly policies and a culture of secrecy from the SNP.

“People see Labour are committed to retaining jobs and bringing the jobs of the future to the Grangemouth refinery. I know how important it is to the Grangemouth community and the rest of Scotland to Keep Grangemouth Working.

“I’ve also heard from Conservative voters who see the need for a change in government and are going to vote Labour this time. They see Tory politics as having lurched to the extreme and that the only way to save the NHS and get our economy back on track is with a change of government in Westminster.“