Jamie Stone To Hit the Ground As Sitting MP For Election

25th May 2024

Jamie joined the Liberal Democrats after meeting Charles Kennedy in the 1980s. He studied History at St Andrews and comes from a family of cheesemakers. As a Tain local, Jamie has always been committed to speaking up for the place where he grew up.

Council days

Between 1986 and 1996, he was the Liberal Democrat Councillor for Ross and Cromarty District Council. During this time, he represented Ross and Cromarty at the Scottish Constitutional Convention that paved the way for the establishment of a Scottish Parliament in 1999.

He was later elected to the Highland Council, serving from 1995 - 1999. During this time, he was elected Vice Chair of Finance on the Highland Council. In this role he helped Tain to benefit from new play equipment, new public toilets, and a revived mussel fishery.

After taking a break from Holyrood in 2011, Jamie decided to go back to doing what he loves best: bringing local solutions to local problems. In 2012 he was successfully re-elected to the Highland Council.

Holyrood highlights

Between 1999 and 2011, Jamie fought and won three elections to Holyrood. As an MSP he successfully secured more money for home improvement grants, prevented the downgrading of the consultant-led maternity service at Caithness General Hospital, and was instrumental in the construction and design of the Holyrood Parliament.

Other notable achievements include:

Leading the Scottish Parliament University Challenge team to victory against the Welsh assembly.
Directing a show in Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where all the participants were MSPs to critical acclaim.
Westminster

In 2017, Jamie was elected to Westminster as the MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross and was re-elected in 2019. In this time he has:

Safeguarded the Far North Maternity service and the construction of a new Health Centre in Tain.
Ensure the go ahead for a new high school in Wick.
Overseen improvements to the A9 from Helmsdale to the Ord of Caithness.
As Defence spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats, Jamie singled himself out as leading the fight for improved mental health support for veterans. In 2020, he introduced a bill to ringfence NHS funding for Mental Health support, which gained cross party support.

Current work

In this Parliament, Jamie will be working to introduce community banking hubs across the Far North. He continues to raise awareness about access to healthcare wherever possible and make the Government aware of the challenges that the Highlands face, whether it be patchy broadband connectivity, poor road infrastructure, or a lack of employment opportunities. Jamie has always made it his business to make Westminster aware of these challenges.

All the Candidates Known So Far -
Alba - Steve Chisholm
Greens Ann Taylor
Labour - Eva Kestner
SNP - Lucy Beattie
Lib Dems - Jamie Stone
Reform UK - Sandra Skinner
Fiona FAWCETT - Scottish Conservative and Unionist