Argyll & Bute: Meet your constituency candidates for May's Holyrood election

Dr Callum George, Scottish Labour

1. By trusting me with your vote, you’re avoiding being ’stuck’ with a mediocre, inaccessible representative for the next five years. You’d be choosing an approachable, dedicated local partner to end nineteen years of worsening decline. I believe you need someone honest on the ground with real experience, not another ’political professional’ who will disappear into the Holyrood bubble and fail to deliver.

2. I’d cut waste across government and in the health service to rebuild our frontline services. I’d secure a cheaper, quicker and more flexible solution for the A83. I’d give local people a more meaningful say in what happens in their communities and how their tax money is spent.

3. Yes. I’ll legislate for "Milly’s Law" to mandate a statutory Duty of Candour, something I already adhere to as a doctor. Public trust depends on honesty when things go wrong. We’ve had enough of the government’s culture of cover-up.

4. Yes. Labour is a party built on equality. I commit to protecting every citizen, regardless of geography, beliefs or background.

5. Yes. It is an existential threat. We will lead a science-led, nature-first transition, creating local green jobs and restoring our environment to protect Argyll for future generations.

Amanda Hampsey, Reform UK

1. The electorate shouldn’t feel “stuck” with anyone. This role is earned daily. If elected, I’ll be visible, accountable, and present, listening, acting, and reporting back honestly. You won’t be stuck with me, you’ll have someone working for you.
2. That salary reflects public trust and should deliver results. I’ll focus on cost of living, services, infrastructure, and value for taxpayers. I’ll challenge waste, stay accessible, and ensure your voice is heard. This is about practical improvements, not headlines.
3. Yes. I’ll be honest, even when it’s difficult. People deserve clarity, not spin, explaining decisions, being upfront, and admitting when things need to improve. Trust starts with honesty.
4. Absolutely. Government must protect all citizens equally. Everyone deserves safety and fairness. Strong communities are built on shared values, with rules applied consistently to all.
5. In regard to climate change, we must respond sensibly. That means practical, affordable solutions that protect both environment and economy. We’ll rely on oil and gas for decades, so cutting domestic supply while importing more makes no sense. We need innovation, energy security, and a balanced approach for future generations.

Tommy Macpherson, Independent

I am an independent-minded local councillor standing for Holyrood, speaking on common sense and for local communities. I won’t be afraid to call out the nonsense, wherever it comes from.

Too often, decision-making has drifted away from the day-to-day realities people are living with, and that gap needs to be closed.

I will be present, accountable, and active throughout the term. That means being out in communities, not absent or out of touch, prioritising local people and workers on housing, home care and health services locally, easing pressure on household bills, and putting rural and island communities first in decisions.

If I get something wrong, I will say so and correct it. As a councillor, I have focused on transparency, scrutiny, and ensuring decisions reflect what people actually experience locally. Trust is built by what gets done, not what gets said.

Every person should be treated equal and protected under the law, regardless of background. That protection rests on fairness, British and Christian values, alongside the rule of law — foundations of a safe, confident society.

Climate change is real, but the debate is not fully settled in public discussion. We are damaging our environment through pollution and how we live, and that must be addressed seriously alongside an honest approach that recognises the importance of independent domestic energy and food security now and for the future.

Jenni Minto, SNP

1. To represent such a diverse and resourceful constituency has been a privilege. With me you get someone who recognises the strengths but also where more support is needed. 
An MSP has many roles: helping constituents with specific needs; in the chamber debating issues to make positive change; in committees ensuring legislation is robust and reflects the diversity of Scotland. I believe I did all of this. 
Serving as the Government Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health, I made positive change for people all over Scotland - delivering the Patient Safety Commissioner Act, increasing investment in dentistry, gynaecology and defibrillators, and introducing the second women’s health plan. 
All of this I did keeping the constituents of Argyll & Bute at the centre of my thoughts.

2. I think you judge a person by their actions. I will always listen to and represent the views of people across Argyll & Bute. I have a record of effective hard work both as an MSP and a Government Minister and have also shared examples of great practice in Argyll & Bute to ensure positive learnings can be made across Scotland. If re-elected I will continue to be fully committed to improving the well-being of the people of Argyll & Bute and Scotland.

3. Yes.

4. Yes.

5. Yes.

Alan Reid, Scottish Liberal Democrats

The primary duty of an MSP is to serve their constituents. To that end, I would make the case to Parliament for a rolling 30-year ferry and port infrastructure replacement strategy, so that no island or peninsula community is ever again left without a reliable ferry service. 
Among my other priorities are a solution to stop landslides blocking the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful which doesn’t involve closing the road for years, access to GPs, NHS dentists and mental health specialists without very long waits, and improving social care so that people who could return home are not left lying in a hospital bed for far longer than they need to. 
We can achieve this by valuing dedicated social care staff more, increasing their wages and giving social care staff a proper career structure to retain experienced staff. 
I will always tell the truth except I reserve the right to mislead the enemy in time of war. 
I will give equal consideration to all people no matter their creed, colour, religion, sex, age or other protected characteristic. 
Climate change caused by human activities is a serious threat to future generations and we must become a carbon neutral society.

Mick Rice, Independent

1. I believe that organised communities change the world. I will not be living the high life in Edinburgh pontificating and feeling important. No! I shall be on the road speaking in towns and villages across the region. I shall be doing stand-up and will bring a band with me for music.

2. I will become the organiser-in-chief for resistance to falling living standards that the billionaire class has foisted upon ordinary people. I have already launched International Reparations Day or Make Trump Pay. We should confiscate his assets in Scotland to give the money raised to the poor!

3. No! There is one exception. MSPs cannot take their seats unless they swear allegiance to the monarch and his heirs and successors. I am a republican, but I cannot force the electorate to have never-ending by-elections because I refuse to take the oath. I shall have to do it with my fingers crossed!

4. Is the Pope a Catholic? I am a socialist – everyone matters to me.

5. Yes, it is. We must do all we can to promote sustainable energy. In Scotland we are already self-sustaining on renewable energy. We must export energy, manufacture and export recyclable equipment. Cut Scottish energy bills to the cost of production.

Peter Wallace, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party

My record in Argyll and Bute is one of turning up, doing the work, and fighting for communities that too often feel ignored. I am not interested in titles, only results. My responsibility is to make your life easier, services more reliable, and your voice impossible to overlook.

I will stay focused on the basics that matter: fixing transport links, securing a permanent solution for the A83, improving access to health and social care, supporting local jobs, and challenging any government that forgets rural Scotland exists. 

I commit to being straight with the public but I know there will be things we disagree on. While I will always listen to other points of view, you will know where I stand, and that includes a firm commitment to respecting every citizen, regardless of creed, colour, or religion. 

Protecting our environment for future generations matters, but we also need honesty about the tiny share of global emissions Scotland produces, and while we must play our part, we cannot allow policies that punish our communities while making no meaningful difference. A fair transition means working with communities to contribute to global progress, but in a way that protects livelihoods and keeps energy affordable.