Dear Boss, Let’s set aside party-political differences! Let’s come together! Let’s fix politics! Welcome to Scotland’s newest political party, SOUTH SCOTLAND PEOPLE.

Full statement

The sole purpose of the party is to directly and effectively represent first and foremost the interests of the people of the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse constituency and the South Scotland Region as a whole which currently includes Ayr, Carrick, Cumnock, Doon Valley, Clydesdale, Dumfries & Galloway, East Kilbride, Ettrick, Roxburgh, Berwickshire, Kilmarnock, Irvine Valley, Midlothian South, Tweeddale & Lauderdale.

https://southscotlandpeople.org/petitions/stop-the-party-whip/

Most importantly, please read our petition above which will be sent to your MSPs, MP, Councillors, Leaders of the Conservative, Green, Labour, Lib Dem, Reform and SNP Party Groups and Leader of your local Council demanding they STOP the Party Whip and the Block Vote. It is the single lynchpin flaw in our current system of politics causing so many of us to be so unhappy with politics. There is a solution!

Make the petition yours by signing it and share it as much as possible. Almost everyone I’ve spoken to agrees with the objective of the petition. Because of this, please seriously consider forwarding the petition to all your WhatsApp contacts who will appreciate being informed about such a positive initiative.

My target is for 80,000 people in Scotland to sign the petition and in due course 6.2 million to sign it UK-wide. Very soon there will be over 60 websites for over 60 new Local People Parties for every region in the UK all with the petition.

SOUTH SCOTLAND PEOPLE is not yet registered with the Electoral Commission, so I am standing as an independent, however I am bound by the constitution of the party. The key difference is:

ELECT ME AND YOU WILL BE MY BOSS

For every vote in Holyrood, I will take instructions on how to vote from the majority of the members of SOUTH SCOTLAND PEOPLE from the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse constituency - directly. When there is a vote, I will email the members of the party informing them how I would like to vote and why. However, it will be up to the members to get involved, vote and instruct me on how to vote.

It is free to join the party so everyone can get involved. For those members who choose not to guide me on how to vote and for those who choose not to join the party, they can have confidence knowing that how I vote on behalf of everyone in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse will be guided by a team of local people who have decided to get involved and tell me how to vote on their and your behalf.

By-elections have nationwide significance. It is important that as many people as possible vote, especially those who do not usually vote. You have a responsibility to step up on behalf of all of Scotland.

Send a clear message to Government and established political parties that there is a consensus across Scotland that people do not feel that they are being properly represented. People feel that other interests have a greater influence over their representatives than the people’s interests. Scotland is fed up!

SOUTH SCOTLAND PEOPLE was officially founded on the 30th of April 2025 as an unincorporated association by me, Marc Wilkinson, Morag Macrae and Mark Rowbotham. Respectively, we are Interim Party Leader, Interim Treasurer and Interim Secretary. Together with the people of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse we are making a stand. Everyone should really vote IMHO and especially for me!

We expect this election leaflet, and my campaign will inspire thousands from all over the South Scotland Region to come forward, sign our petition, subscribe to being informed by the party. The constitution of the party ensures that candidates will be selected by the members.

As soon as possible, SOUTH SCOTLAND PEOPLE will have elections to elect a new party leader, treasurer & secretary and Mark, Morag and I can resign. Thereafter, members will vote on the party’s policies including the proposed policies listed below and any other policies put forward by the members.

This is not pie in the sky: I would like to inspire you with what we have achieved in Edinburgh.
On the 14th of Nov 2024 I stood in the Edinburgh Council by-election for the Colinton/Fairmilehead ward to replace Scott Arthur who had been elected MP in the July 2024 General Election. 4.4% of the voters gave me their 1st or 2nd preference vote. I worked very hard speaking to over 650 people on the doorstep and a total of 485 people gave me their 1st, 2nd, 3rd of 4th preference votes.
“MY VIDEO” (QR above) includes my ten-minute doorstep presentation which secured me my votes.
Unusually, there was a 2nd by-election on the 23rd of January 2025. I was chosen by the members of EDINBURGH PEOPLE to stand again. Apart from being the middle of an icy Winter, it was a heaven-sent opportunity for us to build within ten weeks with the same electorate. So, I worked hard again.
This time 7.9% of the voters gave me their 1st or 2nd preference. This represented a +79% growth in the share of the 1st & 2nd preference votes within ten weeks in the same ward.

For Holyrood EDINBURGH PEOPLE only needs to secure around 6% of the votes on the regional list to secure one MSP. This target has already been smashed. If the members of the party, select me to be number one on the list there is a very distinct possibility I will be elected as one of the seven regional MSPs for the Edinburgh & Lothian East region.

Normally, with elections it is one person one vote so if someone has always voted Labour a new party would have to first persuade them to stop voting Labour before securing their vote, which is hard.

Uniquely, for the Scottish Parliament elections everyone has two votes and elects up to two different MSPs. One is through the First Past the Post system. The second vote is on the regional list and for many the second vote is a bit of an aside. Most people choose the same party or maybe the Greens. The key is that for the Scottish Parliament elections people can continue voting traditionally for their constituency MSP, and at the same time they can vote on the regional list for SOUTH SCOTLAND PEOPLE their local party looking after the interests of people from the South Scotland Region first and foremost.

We all know, politics is broken! We need change! Families who had given up voting came out to vote for me in Edinburgh. If everyone who has given up on the main political parties and their politicians who have to tow their party’s line to protect their careers turns out to vote for SOUTH SCOTLAND PEOPLE the South Scotland Region can easily elect one MSP to Holyrood who will be bound to actually represent their electorate. The Additional Member electoral system means that any political party who secures around 6% or 25,000 list votes will secure one MSP to Holyrood Parliament.

Please email or message me any questions or if you can help with our election campaign.

Most importantly sign and share the petition! Seriously consider forwarding the link on WhatsApp.

Yours faithfully, Marc Wilkinson
Interim Party Leader SOUTH SCOTLAND PEOPLE M:+44 7791 843 702 E: info@southscotlandpeople.org

PROPOSED POLICIES PEOPLE CARE ABOUT SouthScotlandPeople.org/policies

Our party is different to the other main parties. Policies are proposed by members and a 2/3rds majority vote by members is needed for policies to become party policy. We encourage local people who agree with the party's aim of representing ordinary people to join the party. Regarding issues that affect us, our right to informed consent represents real democracy. Please join SOUTH SCOTLAND PEOPLE so that you can propose and vote on policies at our first meeting. Membership fees are voluntary, so do join us.

Local Democracy
Our elected representatives must take instructions from members of SOUTH SCOTLAND PEOPLE from the constituency on how to vote on their behalf. The opposite of top-down parties which whip their Councillors, MSPs and MPs into voting along party lines or else face a disciplinary procedure.

Education
Improving literacy & numeracy in Primary Schools is a priority. We cannot afford to let standards drop further. We also recognise parents’ central role in a child’s education. The Scottish Government’s own Statutory Teaching Guidance for relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) states: “Parents and carers play a key role in all aspects of their children’s education”. In practice, the Scottish Government fails to inform parents of what their child is being taught, and parents’ consent is assumed. Our policy is to ensure parents are informed of the RSHP topics at the start of each term, proactively requesting all parents either consent or opt-out their child from certain topics. It is time to empower parents.

Additional Support Needs (ASN)
As per the Scottish Government Summary statistics for schools in Scotland 2024 publication, in 2024 there were 284,448 children who had additional support needs. This represented 40.5% of all pupils. The figure for 2023 was 36.7%. This is a huge year-on-year increase of +10.4%. If you consider that we are comparing the same children, one year on apart from the S6 who have graduated with Highers being replaced by a new intake of P1s. An obvious potential explanation is the 2023 P1 intake has additional support needs which are far greater than those of the P6s who graduated in 2023.
Schools are under huge pressure. Billions were found and spent during the Covid Lockdowns. Our policy is to call for an annual increase in the budget for ASN which is equal to the annual increase in children with ASN.

ASN Research
We call for far more research to be commissioned by the Scottish Government to identify the likely causes of this concerning increase in Additional Support Needs.

NHS & Health
Reverse & STOP privatisation of the NHS. Promote prevention to focus on cures. The current system treats symptoms, prescribing drugs lifelong at a huge cost to the NHS yielding huge corporate profits.

Social Care
Protect the Social Care budget and oppose cuts. Increase financial support for carers who are facing financial difficulties. Many carers are in extreme hardship due to being unable to keep working alongside their caring responsibilites. No one should be penalised for caring for their loved ones.

Winter Fuel Allowance
This should be reinstated for OAPs until energy bills come down more.

Men & Women’s Equal Rights
A central and important issue to ensure all men and women are treated equally and protected. The Equality Act 2010 enshrines in law that “Sex” is one of the nine protected characteristics. Equal sex-based rights must be protected to help Scotland be a more equal society and that requires that “Sex” means biological sex. It is not acceptable to engage in intimidation by making or posting threats of violence towards men or women who are concerned about their sex-based rights.

Scottish Independence
Our members have decided to set aside party-political differences, come together and fix politics as a priority. Our policy on Scottish Independence is to not have a policy on Scottish Independence and to be neutral. Once 2/3rds of members decide we should have a policy then we will vote on whether the party should become pro-independence or pro-union. Our members include pro-independence and pro-union members. The priority for SOUTH SCOTLAND PEOPLE is to have as many members, voters and candidates as possible to secure as many elected representatives as possible ASAP.

Business Support
Encourage new small businesses to lease empty shops by offering them a 2-year rates relief holiday to help them get past the 18-month period within which most small businesses fail. Increase the VAT threshold from £90,000 to £300,000 to incentivise small one-man-band & family businesses to grow.

Mobile Telecommunications
Provide a better mobile phone signal strength for UK mobile devices by legislating that the four networks set their customers’ SIM cards to roaming. Mobile phones will connect to the mast with the strongest signal. This will reduce the quantity of Telecom Masts needed for the same coverage.