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Size of constituency is one reason Gail Ross says she will quit Holyrood


By Mike Merritt

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Gail Ross wants to spend more time with her son.
Gail Ross wants to spend more time with her son.

Caithness and Sutherland SNP MSP Gail Ross is quitting Holyrood because she wants to spend more time with her son and to "be more involved in local issues".

Ms Ross also said the size of the huge constituency meant she was "having difficulty in reaching every part" on a regular basis.

"I am not able to represent my constituents in the way they deserve and rightly expect," she said.

Ms Ross announced that she will not be standing for re-election in next year's elections.

She said: “The decision has been reached due to the demands of travelling to Edinburgh and being away from home for sometimes five days a week, every week. I want to be able to spend more time with my family, to watch my son grow up and to be more involved in local issues, things I cannot presently do.

“The sheer size of the area I represent also means that I am having difficulty in reaching every part of the constituency on a regular basis and I am not able to represent my constituents in the way they deserve and rightly expect.

“I recently asked the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee to ask if there is any possibility that members could video in to meetings and remote vote. If we are to encourage into politics more young people with families who live far away from Edinburgh, this has to be considered.

“It has not been an easy decision to make and I wish to sincerely thank everyone who has supported me in my journey through council and then parliament. It has been a huge privilege to represent the place where I grew up and although the job has sometimes been very challenging, these years have been some of the most rewarding of my professional career.

“My drive for independence is stronger than ever and I will continue work to make sure that all families can grow and prosper in an independent Scotland.”

Ms Ross, from Wick, was first elected to The Highland Council in 2011 in a Wick by-election.

She was then elected again to the council the following year and was Caithness Civic Leader until her election to Holyrood in 2016, when she had a majority of 3913 over the Liberal Democrats.

In her role as MSP, she was Deputy Convener of the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee, on the Public Audit Committee, the Equalities and Human Rights Committee and is currently Deputy Convener of the Petitions Committee, Convener of the Cross Party Group on the Prevention and Healing of Adverse Childhood Experiences, Co-convener of the Cross Party Group on Food and a member of the Education and Skills Committee.

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