It isn’t enough that the Tories and the SNP deserve to lose – we need to deserve to win.
I’m Gregor Poynton. I’m a campaigner and organiser.
Growing up, I was taught some basic values – that everyone deserves the opportunity to build a better life, that we take care of our neighbours, and that we stand up for what’s right for our community.
My experience in the Labour Party
I’ve been a Labour member for over 20 years, and have campaigned in elections in West Lothian, Bo’ness, across Scotland and the UK. I spent four years as local organiser and Scottish Organiser, two years as an Election Strategy Manager in the UK Labour headquarters, and was a senior advisor to Jim Murphy when he was Scottish Labour Leader. In 2005, I ran the general election campaign in Dumfries & Galloway (then the most marginal seat in the UK), beating the Tories and securing a 2.5k majority for Labour. I have decades of experience of leading election campaigns, galvanising and enthusing volunteers, and delivering strong results against both the SNP and the Tories. I’m also a member of the GMB, Community and Co-op Party.
I joined the Labour Party as a student at Strathclyde university, where I was studying politics. I started working for Catherine Stihler MEP on weekends, campaigning across Scotland, and stood at the 2003 Scottish Parliament elections in North East Fife - that year I was Labour’s youngest candidate.
Like lots of you, I’m impatient for the change I know Labour in power can deliver. As a child growing up in Falkirk, I saw the devastating impact the Tory Government had on our town. My dad worked in Grangemouth for over 35 years for a plastics company as a process operator, but when his plant was shut down, too many of his workmates were forced to take low paid, unstable jobs, whilst others never worked again. That’s why guaranteeing dignity in work and building an economy that creates good jobs on which you can raise a family is one of my driving missions in politics.
You can read more about my vision for Scotland's economy, and why the SNP are letting down Scottish workers so badly in my recent article in The Scotsman:
My experience campaigning with political parties, trade unions and charities
In my working life, I have been proud to lead many progressive campaigns. I was a Director at Barack Obama’s digital agency, advising left-leaning political parties in India, France, Ireland, Indonesia and the US on election campaigns. Over decades now, I have partnered with charities and trade unions to fight for better pay for nurses, against privatisation of the NHS and Royal Mail, for a Peoples' vote on the Brexit deal, for better housing and homelessness provision across the UK and to say a resounding "No, thanks" to independence. Recently, I supported the building of democratic institutions in Iraq on behalf of the Kurdish Regional Government.
Me and my family
My wife and I have two little boys - Lachlan, who is four, and Ruairi, who is just one. We love visiting local parks and watching Toy Story (Lachlan’s current favourite!), baking banana bread, and sitting down together for Sunday lunch, whenever we can.
The opportunity to get on is what everyone wants for their family -- I know it’s what I want for my boys. As your candidate, I would work tirelessly to make sure no one, anywhere in this country, is held back by their circumstances.
A strong voice for West Lothian
I know first-hand the hard work a general election involves, I have the experience, energy and commitment needed to turn our area Labour again. I want to draw on the skills and insights of members across the two constituencies, building a fun and impactful campaign that speaks to communities across the area.
If you would like to find out more about me, get involved in my campaign, or share ideas for how we build support for Labour where you live, I’d love to hear from you.
More on my professional career can be found here.
