Julie originally trained to be a professional musician, but her life changed when her mother became ill and she became her full time carer.

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She was a prominent campaigner for Monklands Hospital when its A&E was under threat of closure. The hospital was saved and she got involved in health politics as part of the Scottish Health Campaigns Network, later joining the SNP in 2010.

She became a councillor for North Lanarkshire in 2012 and was noted for bringing attention to the situation surrounding the Mears housing property contract in 2015. The leader of the council subsequently resigned and a full investigation of the council’s procurement practice was launched.

She left the SNP in 2017 and joined ISP in January 2020. She splits her time between teaching, playing and fighting for Scottish independence.