Welcome, my name is Andrew Russell.

Full statement

I spent my teenage years in Ayr and stayed on in secondary school into the sixth year before training as an electrical electronics engineer, and progressing to a fulfilling career in the Royal Navy where I served 7 years on frigates in Plymouth and 15 years on submarines at Faslane.

My childhood was spent in Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) where my schooling and my parents taught me the importance of paying attention to detail, to question everything, and to learn from mistakes and experiences. They instilled in me values of respect, fairness, politeness, tolerance and honesty.

After my naval career I spent 20 years in the offshore oil and gas sector developing and maintaining subsea infrastructure aboard various vessels around the world on many varied subsea projects. All exciting stuff working with different nationalities and cultures and an adherence to punctuality, discipline and efficient teamwork, all essential qualities in an environment where time is money.

This is the reason I’m keen on promoting Reform UK policies for more technical jobs and to help businesses because they all provide valued jobs and are good for the economy, benefitting us all.

Why stand as the Reform UK Candidate PPC for Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock?

I joined Reform UK as I thought mainstream parties had gone off the rails, lost sight of what most of us are feeling and are no longer representing our views and preferring the woke agenda. Reform UK spoke my common sense ideals where mad net zero policies are too stringent, stifling growth and making us less competitive. Immigration is out of control in an already full country with housing shortages.

There are NHS concerns with over-the-top management and waste, lack of staff retention including carers. There is a better Reform UK way by valuing and incentivising the staff to stay on. We need more affordable housing to ease rents, and more Police to police without political interference and much more.

My submarine Commander once said to a group of my fellow crew members, “I want Russell in my control room; he’s got presence to ensure procedures are followed and is able to convey them reliably.” I hope to use this to encourage more tourism by making our unique coastal asset more marketable and a choice destination.

We need more tech and manufacturing around the airport, and improved A77 links to the ferries to Ireland by more overtaking and longer lanes. Look to expand the industrial site in Girvan and to support our local hard working farmers in our rural areas. One wonders what has happened to the promises of the Growth Deal and Spaceport, hollow words and it is simply not good enough just to make announcements and no action to be seen thereafter.

Now retired and living close to my family home in Alloway, I have been active in local politics for several years. I retired early to take care of my late wife, formerly Miss Campbell of Holmston Primary 3, which was the right thing to do and now I wish to devote my energies to helping the constituents of Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock more vocally than previous representatives to improve investment into our area.

How can I help?

I tend to gravitate towards those asking for help and have always been keen to pass on any knowledge. You may have seen my name in the letter page of the Ayrshire Post, Facebook or Alloway chat standing up for people, actively fighting and opposing local issues that didn’t make sense. Our constituency is rich in history and scenery and we should exploit our culture and heritage through tourism and leisure our main selling points.

I was involved for over a year with Seeayr, a citizen group of 5 deciding something had to be done. We thrashed out strategic ideas and localities of entertainment for the area, bringing back venues including a multi functional arena. Disappointingly not a single Councillor showed any interest in the document which still has value and remains on my computer.

As a Community Council member and Chair I am often seen in the Council Chambers representing the community on some planning issue. Querying the closure of hospital wards and clinical procedures at Ayr hospital and wanting answers.

I have concerns in the unfairness for those having to travel even further for treatments and the number of bus connections required. Realising the A77 Ayr bypass is fast becoming gridlocked and persevering to get the remaining 4 miles of bypass made dual carriageway. I am still advocating for a Citizens Advice Bureau for South Ayrshire which seems to be stalling in the Council. I am an advocate of protecting and keeping open space available in our towns.

Promoting our beautiful constituency and time we had some action.

Now with time on my hands I’d be keen to get round all the towns and villages in the constituency and see and hear what’s needed. I’d have an advantage in that I could speak out about any unwelcome policies of a mainstream party. Apart from newspaper and staged photo shoots when did you last see your MP/MSP? I want to rectify that; there is nothing better than meeting people and listening and getting the job done.

I ask you to place your trust in Andrew Russell for MP to promote our constituency in full. I’m proud of where we live and what we have potential for on our doorstep. I ask you to put aside your former party allegiances and change for once our predictable, stagnating, self-serving political system and vote for the policies of Reform UK. Already many people from all parties are doing just this which is good news and I would encourage you all to read the Reform UK Contract and listen to our leader Richard Tice online.

I look forward to meeting you in due course. Remember our logo, big X please. I intend not to disappoint and thank you for your vote.