Welcome to my new-look website. The hosting technology is still changing, so things may look slightly different next time you visit. But now that you’re here, allow me to introduce myself…
Chris Young for Glasgow Central
I have recently been selected (by a democratic ballot of all party members within Glasgow) as the Scottish Liberal Democrats’ prospective parliamentary candidate (PPC) for the constituency of Glasgow Central. This means that, failing incident, I will be the candidate at the General Election on 7 May 2015, ready to be sent to Westminster if elected. I fought the same seat in 2010 and it overlaps with the former Glasgow Govan constituency which I contested in the Scottish Parliament election of 2007.
A brief (selected) history of me
Originally from London, I have been a Liberal Democrat activist since 1992, shortly after sitting my A-levels. I was driven by the desire to change Britain for good, with particular concerns being constitutional reform, civil liberties (including LGBT+ rights) and environmental sustainability. I quickly became the Secretary of the London Youth & Student wing and was instrumental in a petition-based campaign, taken up by Liberal Democrats across the city, which resulted in the Conservative government eventually scrapping its plans for the deregulation of London’s buses.
In 1993, I left to study Classics (Greek and Latin) at the University of St Andrews, where I served as SRC Environment Convenor amongst other representative roles and got to the quarter-finals of University Challenge. In 1997, I became Convener of the Scottish Young Liberal Democrats and steered the organisation through a general election, a record recruitment campaign and the devolution referendum. I was also elected to the Royal Burgh of St Andrews Community Council, where I played an active role in monitoring planning applications and a campaign to increase take-up of state benefits. After 2 years of graduate unemployment (and a New Deal course in Computer Aided Draughting and Design), I returned to university, attaining a postgraduate certificate in vocational IT, before working in advertising and the arts and winning The Weakest Link.
I moved from Fife in 2003 to study law at the University of Glasgow and bought a tenement flat in Ibrox. After my LLB and diploma, and a variety of short-term assignments, I worked for a year as a trainee solicitor. My legal career fell victim to the credit crunch in 2008. Having always been a writer and performer, and having taught myself ventriloquism as part of my fundraising efforts for the Britannia Panopticon Music Hall, I turned my attentions to making a living from my art. I have since worked as an actor, tour guide and comedy turn (and got involved with the Scottish Variety Branch of Equity) as well as a model at the Glasgow School of Art and elsewhere. A successful performance poet and occasional contributor to anthologies, I was delighted when Red Squirrel Press published my first pamphlet Greetings from Glasgow in July 2014.
I have always been interested in science, nature and technology, particularly due to the influence of my grandfather who was an electrical engineer, inventor and amateur naturalist. In 2013, I finally made good on this background and took Highers in chemistry and human biology at Glasgow Clyde College (Langside). As of September 2014, I am a student at the University of Strathclyde, enrolled for the 5-year MChem in Chemistry with Drug Discovery.
Why I am standing
I do not expect to be elected in the near future. However, if elected, I believe I would do an excellent job. I am extremely ambitious for what I would like to achieve if given a mandate. By being a candidate, I aim to inform both myself and the debate, developing and promoting policies that will in time make life better for us all. I hope that those eligible will vote for me, to help give voice to those ideas and ideals.
I’ll have to vote for you as it seems you do need a steady job!
Thanks for being so open about your life – particularly as it doesn’t seem to be selectively chosen to appeal to voters.