The South Lanarkshire Conservative Association covers three different electoral regions for the Scottish Parliamentary elections.  Taylor Muir, our candidate in Rutherglen, forms part of the Glasgow Region, and Alex Allison, our candidate for Clydesdale, forms part of the South Scotland Region.

The majority of our constituencies fall within the Central Scotland region, which we share with North Lanarkshire Council and Falkirk Council.

Following an open process in which every registered party supporter was sent a voting pack to rank candidates for the regional list ballot paper, the following order was determined in December 2015:

1. Margaret Mitchell MSP
2. Graham Simpson
3. Alison Harris
4. Andrew Morrison
5. Meghan Gallacher
6. Callum Laidlaw
7. Robyn Halbert
8. Eric Holford
9. Anthony Newman

#1 Margaret Mitchell MSP - Born and raised in Coatbridge, Margaret has spent most of her life living and working in Central Scotland. She trained as a teacher and taught in primary and special education schools in Lanarkshire. However, Margaret left the profession in order to study law, and later graduated from Strathclyde University with an LLB and Diploma in Law and Legal Practice. 

Margaret is a former Justice of the Peace and Non-Executive Director of Hairmyres and Stonehouse NHS Trust. In 2003 she was elected as the Scottish Conservative list MSP for Central Scotland parliamentary region and from 2003 to 2007 was the Conservative Party's Justice Spokesperson. Margaret is married and lives in Bothwell with her husband Henry and their two westies Jack and Jamie. When time allows, she enjoys photography, cycling, golf and sailing.

#2 Cllr Graham Simpson – Local councillor since 2007. A trained journalist, married with two teenage daughters. Has consistently increased share of the vote when standing in various central Scotland elections. 

“I’ve been a councillor for eight years. I know my way around the system and I am used to getting things done for people.”