Dear Elector, It is a great honour and responsibility to stand as a candidate for the General Election on the 12th December.

Full statement

It is a responsibility which I take extremely seriously and I give you my commitment to put the needs of every constituent in the Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath Parliamentary Constituency at the top of my priority list should I be elected as your MP.

To do that effectively, I will ensure my team and I are visible and accessible, with an office that is easy to access, and where regular surgeries are held in locations you would usually visit in your day-to-day activities.

As you will no doubt be aware, the UK is currently in the grip of a chaotic, hard-right and uncaring Conservative government, with a Prime Minister whose obsession with Brexit threatens not just jobs, prosperity and our NHS, but our very way of life.

Whilst the Scottish Government and the SNP Westminster group have sought repeatedly to find a compromise that protects Scotland's interests, those appeals have fallen on deaf ears, or have been met with open and dismissive hostility. Any sense that the UK is a partnership of equals, or that Scotland’s place in the UK is respected, has been completely shattered.

That’s why this election is not really about me, it’s about giving power and authority to Scotland’s voice in Westminster. It’s about having the opportunity to choose a better future. A future that secures our rights, and protects our institutions, like our Scottish NHS.

There is a huge amount at risk, but together, I believe, we can secure a brighter future. I am asking for your vote to enable me to work in the best interests of the communities I grew up in, and to make the case for a stronger, fairer and independent Scotland at the heart of Europe.

Neale