#SP16 Alison Dickie SNP candidate for Edinburgh Central

Alison Dickie is a teacher, one who came to teaching later in life, after a career which included helping to organise the opening ceremony at Holyrood.

She studied for a BSc in International Relations through the Open University, and also crammed in a business management course at Moray College in Elgin.

Although Alison is originally from Ayr she has settled in Edinburgh for the last sixteen years and it now feels ‘absolutely like home’. She joined the SNP in 2010 and social justice is something very dear to her heart.

She is the SNP candidate for Edinburgh Central and we met her on Princes Street since there is nowhere more central than that!

[vimeo 164441368 w=640 h=360]

The Edinburgh Reporter News #SP16 Alison Dickie from Phyllis Stephen on Vimeo.

Alison told The Edinburgh Reporter: “It is a privilege to be an SNP candidate and Edinburgh Central is amazing although diverse.

“I have a big social justice heart. That is what I’m about. I’m about people. It’s the only reason I’m standing.I know politicians say that time and time again. I’ve heard them say it myself!

“But I am a teacher and I have a voluntary background in youth work and my husband is a Minister so we have fifteen years in social justice work as well.

“The SNP to me is the party that has the real social justice policies. They’re speaking to the people and getting it right for them.

“One of the big issues in Edinburgh Central is housing and rents. It is a big issue for people. The Scottish Government is doing amazing things. They have already met their target of building 30,000 homes and are now moving onto a new target of 50,000. That is our next aim.

“Here in this constituency there are lots of people needing homes. There are big problems with high rent. I am campaigning that this area should be designated a high rent spot and controls should be brought in here. People deserve a home.

“Poverty and inequality is a huge thing for me. I’ve met with lots of social justice organisations here. There are really affluent areas and deep pockets of poverty too.  I think it’s everyone’s responsibility to think about everyone and to make sure the policies are the right ones.

“I want this to be a constituency for all.”

The Edinburgh Central constituency has been held by Marco Biagi who took the seat from Labour MSP Sarah Boyack in 2011 by a mere 237 votes.  Biagi rose to become Local Government Minister and clearly these are big enough shoes to fill.

Alison explained that although the polls are looking good she is not focussing on those at all. She said:  “It is all about policy now. I am a policy person and want the policies that are the best ones for Scotland, so for me it has to be the SNP.”