I live in Torryburn on the Fife coast with my wife and two young daughters who attend local schools.

Full statement

I am currently a Councillor representing the area where I live, and I want to be an MP for the area where I live.

My Dad was an electrician all his working life, for the nationalised Electricity Board, for the railways, in the armed forces and at Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace. My Mum worked as clerical and administration staff in the construction sector, insurance and higher education. My sister works as a Clinical Psychologist in our NHS.

I was one of the first in my family to go to university. I got there, yes, because I worked hard and was ambitious. But without the public service of those teachers and the platform provided by a good state school that journey would have been harder or even impossible.

The people of Dunfermline and Dollar want a better future, where they have the opportunity to fulfil their own aspirations and reach their own ambitions.

I will never be ashamed of being ambitious. For my two daughters, for my community, for Fife and for my country.

I want to help create a place where opportunity, ambition and aspiration are provided, encouraged and met.

As the MP for Dunfermline & Dollar that is what I want to work to create so the opportunities that might parents worked so hard to provide for me and which successive Labour governments have fought for are available to everyone.