About Me

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…

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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.

One thought on “About Me

  1. David says:

    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.

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