About Me
I grew up in Bellshill, in an area of high deprivation. My family are working class and we lived in social housing throughout my childhood. My parents at times relied on benefits. Upon leaving school, I went to Motherwell College to study Web Development. I later went to Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh to study Information Systems.
I’ve always enjoyed sharing knowledge. Part of my degree included Education studies. In my final year at Heriot-Watt, I was employed as a teaching assistant both in the university and in a nearby SEN school. A significant portion of my work life was spent as a Business Agility Coach and Trainer for a large international banking group. My career has taken me around Scotland, to London, and to the USA.
I returned to the west of Scotland in 2019 and now live in South Lanarkshire with my wife and our dog Arwen.
Good state schools; social housing; the benefits system for my parents as a child; SAAS-funded further and higher education; a Scottish Government shared equity scheme to help me buy my own home; the benefits system when I was made redundant as an adult.
I have been fortunate to benefit from many state-backed opportunities that have allowed me to flourish based on my drive and potential, not my economic means.
I am in politics to protect and enhance this social safety net for the generations to come.
Election History
I was elected on 6th May 2022 in the general Scottish Local Elections. I was proud to run a campaign on a progressive manifesto that saw SNP candidates gain the largest number of first preference votes in the ward.
(Source: Ballot Box Scotland. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.)
This SNP success in Bothwell and Uddingston was replicated across South Lanarkshire where we gained more first preference votes (36.9%) and more Councillors (27/64) than any other party.
Share of first preference votes per party across South Lanarkshire (top right)
Party makeup of South Lanarkshire Council after election (bottom right)
(Source: Ballot Box Scotland. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.)
Unfortunately, despite coming first, the SNP did not have over 50% of the seats and a Labour-Lib Dem-Independent coalition with the support of the Tories (“a unionist pact”) voted to keep us out of administration – against the wishes of the electorate.
Council Activity
As a Councillor, I sit on various committees, boards, forums and panels. In this council term, these are:
Member
- Community and Enterprise Resources Committee
- Division 3 (Hamilton) Licencing Board
- Education Resources Committee
- Hamilton Area Committee
- Risk and Audit Scrutiny Committee
- Road Safety Forum
- Social Work Resources Committee
(– Aug 23) - Equal Opportunities Forum
(Aug 23 – Jan 24) - Planning Committee
(Oct 24 –) - Planning Local Review Body
(Oct 24 –)
Substitute Member
- Housing and Technical Resources Committee
- Lanarkshire Valuation Joint Board
- Equal Opportunities Forum
(Jan 24 – Sep 24, forum replaced) - Executive Committee
(Sep 24 –) - Employee, Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion Forum
(new forum, Oct 24 –)
Pool Member
In June 2022, I was appointed one of the Council’s three Adoption and Fostering Champions.
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Cllr Cal Johnston-Dempsey 