Paul Wheelhouse - Best for the Borders

Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire Constituency for the Scottish Parliament 

 
In summary, Paul:
  • has worked for 18 years as a professional economist undertaking economic development consultancy and policy advisor on Higher and Further Education. 

  • is a community councillor in Ayton, Berwickshire

  • is a former secretary of Co'path & Cove Community Council

  • is married and is father to one son

 

Find Paul on Facebook at

Paul Wheelhouse for Ettrick, Roxburgh & Berwickshire

Biography:

Paul Wheelhouse was born in Dundonald, near Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 1970 - the same hospital as Lib Dem Scottish Secretary, Michael Moore. 

Paul's family moved to Scotland in 1973 and he grew up in the Braehead and East Craigs areas of Edinburgh, attending Daniel Stewart's and Melville College.  Paul's parents divorced when he was 13 and he and his two sisters were raised by his mother.  While this was a tough time for the family, every cloud has a silver lining and Paul's father's second marriage brought him a step-sister.    

Between 1988 and 1992, Paul attended the University of Aberdeen, where he studied economics, accountancy and business law disciplines before specialising in economics.  Paul gained an upper second class honours degree (2:1) in Economic Science in 1992. Paul graduated with an MBA from University of Edinburgh Management School in 1999.

Since 1992, prior to becoming self employed, Paul has worked as a professional economist with two leading UK firms of economic consultants and has acted as a policy advisor to a very wide range of public, private and voluntary sector organisations across Scotland and the rest of the UK. Paul's professional expertise is in areas such as demography, demand for school, further and higher education, innovation, economic impact analysis, labour market analysis and measuring employer demand for skills and in business planning for major capital projects - for example, Paul is proud to have been a key part of the team to have obtained lottery funding for the Museum of Scotland and for the capital infrastructure which supported development of the newly designated University of the Highlands and Islands. 

Aside from a passion for Scottish history and tracing his family tree in Scotland, England and Ireland, which revealed he has Turnbull ancestry dating back to 1677 in Cavers near Hawick, Paul is a keen rugby fan and recreational player of the touch rugby format and five-a-side football when time permits.  While never setting the heather alight as a player, unlike classmate Doddie Weir, his interest in rugby has served him well, as Paul met his wife, Lorna, a freelance web-designer, while playing in a touch rugby league on the back pitches at Murrayfield, in the autumn of 1999.    

Paul first moved to the wonderful village of Cove near Cockburnspath in 2000 and he was married at Dryburgh Abbey in 2002, where he was proud to wear the Turnbull tartan of his mother's family.  Since then, Paul has become a father, with his son being born at the BGH.

Paul has served as a community councillor in Cockburnspath (as secretary from 2001-2004) and following a move to Ayton, Paul became Treasurer of Ayton Community Council in 2006.  He has previously served as Secretary on the Berwickshire Community Council Forum and Environment Group and represented Cockburnspath on East Berwickshire Communities Forum.

Political Background and Outlook:

Paul has been a member of the SNP since 2003 and is passionate about Independence.  He believes that Scotland would very much benefit from the repatriation of powers over our economy and foreign policy to deliver bespoke solutions to Scottish problems.  

Paul believes the Borders has been ill-served by successive UK governments of all colours and wants to see the area no longer be taken for granted by any of the UK parties. This constituency is very much a jewel in the crown of Scotland, but much of what makes it special is under threat. 

As an economist, Paul is acutely aware of weakness in the local economy, and the low average earnings received by the hard working people of the area - this did not happen all of a sudden.  After Liberal and Lib Dem representation for more than 40 years in much of the area and Tory and Labour governments throughout, the area needs to find a new approach and a new champion after a succession of ineffective representatives. 

The next Scottish Election on 5th May will be Paul's second election campaign as a candidate, having increased the SNP vote and vote share in the 2010 UK general election in the Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk seat.  Paul has been volunteering in elections since he was 16 years old and is a highly experienced campaigner.