Lib Dem candidate says £25,000 donation is “putting your money where your mouth is”

A candidate running to be an MSP in Edinburgh has called a £25,000 donation to her party “a case of putting your money where your mouth is” as she hopes to make her way to Holyrood.

Jane Alliston Pickard, the Scottish Liberal Democrats candidate for Edinburgh Southern, could be on the verge of a seat in The Scottish Parliament.

Selected in second place on her party’s list in the Edinburgh and Lothians East region, Ms Alliston Pickard is likely to be elected if the top of the list candidate, Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, wins in Edinburgh Northern.

Originally from the south of England, Ms Alliston Pickard’s first experience with Edinburgh came when she studied law and politics at university.

Following time working as a fund manager in London, then part-time in Tokyo and Switzerland, the family returned to Edinburgh in 2010 to raise their children and for Ms Alliston Pickard to return to work.

She said: “We chose to move back to Edinburgh because I knew I loved it, and I thought it would be a great place to bring up the kids.

“I retrained immediately into mental health services and became a counsellor, and that’s what I’ve done for the past fifteen years.”

Her work as a counsellor led her to seeing significant issues in how mental health is treated in Scotland, and “really did” affect her going into politics.

Ms Alliston Pickard said: “I was working in an Edinburgh high school and it became really apparent to me about ten years ago that there were a lot of closed doors in relation to support for young people in mental health.”

Various local issues come to her mind for Edinburgh Southern, notably the NHS, which she said is a significant issue brought up by voters.

She said: “We’ve had some pretty poor reports out from maternity services, and that’s an absolute backbone of what the NHS should be operating.

“There is an ongoing investigation into services in Lothian for maternity, we certainly need to see more transparency on that.”

Other issues that Ms Alliston Pickard sees as integral to the local community include housing and changes to the UK government’s decision to remove the VAT exemption on the fees private schools charge.

She said: “Edinburgh Southern is fairly affluent constituency in a lot of places, but I think we can see how hard it is for the next generation to get on the housing ladder.

“Are there places for them to move to? People want their kids to stay in Scotland and to be able to work and have a good quality of life here.”

She added: “Private education is a big issue too in Scotland and Edinburgh particularly, and the increase of costs there has really impacted families. You know, that’s been a real squeeze on families who chose to put their children in private education.”

Following her selection, Jane Alliston Pickard has faced scrutiny after it emerged that she had donated £25,000 to the Scottish Liberal Democrats in 2025.

According to the Electoral Commission, her donation was submitted in November, three months after her selection on the regional list in July.

There is no suggestion of wrongdoing on the candidate’s part.

When asked by Deadline News for comment on the donation and whether such a sum could help her rise through the party, Alliston Pickard responded: “It’s very difficult to rise through the party with the Liberal Democrats. We can talk about other politicians who have donated money and got key positions.

“I was selected by members, I’ve worked in the background for the Liberal Democrats as a volunteer since 2018. So the local members know me and they trusted me.

“I was selected for Edinburgh Southern, I was selected as number two on the list, simply because people know me and trust me, and that’s a membership decision.

“Now, it’s a very hard job in politics and it’s hard for a woman to get ahead in politics. One of the issues is about funding a campaign, I’m really aware of that, and in the past I’ve been aware of that for other women and tried to donate where I could.

She added: “I had to raise money. I was left a bit of money when I lost my father, so I had that in my back pocket.

“It was important to me, if I was going to go and ask somebody else for money, that I had shown my willingness and my commitment, and actually my belief that we can get me elected.

“It may not be in Edinburgh Southern, but I think that there’s a strong possibility, from what we’re hearing on the doors, that we could get me in via the list if we get Sanne [Dijkstra-Downie] elected in Edinburgh Northern.

“So it’s a case of putting your money where your mouth is really, and that’s the reality of it.

“I also recognise that it’s a huge privilege, it’s a large amount of money, and I am incredibly lucky at this stage of my life that I can make that decision and very aware that’s not the case for other candidates of whatever gender.”

Other candidates in Edinburgh Southern include Daniel Johnson of Scottish Labour, who has represented the constituency since 2016, Councillor Marie-Clair Munro of the Scottish Conservatives, former SNP MP Deidre Brock, Charles Turner of Reform UK, and Marc Wilkinson of Edinburgh and East Lothian People.