Don't elect politicians! Elect People!
Especially, for the attention of everyone in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse you must please sign our petition if you agree with its objective. The petition will be delivered to your Councillors, MP & eight MSPs.
The magnitude of the significance of what will happen only thanks to you on Thursday 5th June cannot be underestimated.
To fully fathom you must watch my 20-minute video above. In a nutshell in 2021 the Green Party secured 19,512 List votes in South Scotland and secured one Regional MSP. All we need in 2026 is approximately 20,000 list votes for SOUTH SCOTLAND PEOPLE to secure one MSP.
VOTE MARC WILKINSON
(Independent)
Thursday 5th June 2025 7am-10pm
Holyrood Parliament By-election
Dear Boss,
Let’s set aside party-political differences! Let’s come together! Let’s fix politics!
Welcome to Scotland’s newest political party, SOUTH SCOTLAND PEOPLE. The sole purpose of the party is to directly and effectively represent first and foremost the interests of the people of the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse constituency and the South Scotland Region as a whole which currently includes Ayr, Carrick, Cumnock, Doon Valley, Clydesdale, Dumfries & Galloway, East Kilbride, Ettrick, Roxburgh, Berwickshire, Kilmarnock, Irvine Valley, Midlothian South, Tweeddale & Lauderdale.
Most importantly, please read our petition overleaf which will be sent to your MSPs, MP, Councillors, Leaders of the Conservative, Green, Labour, Lib Dem, Reform and SNP Party Groups and Leader of your local Council demanding they STOP the Party Whip and the Block Vote. It is the single lynchpin flaw in our current system of politics causing so many of us to be so unhappy with politics. There is a solution!
Make the petition yours by signing it and share it as much as possible. Almost everyone I’ve spoken to agrees with the objective of the petition. Because of this, please seriously consider forwarding the petition to all your WhatsApp contacts who will appreciate being informed about such a positive initiative.
My target is for 80,000 people in Scotland to sign the petition and in due course 6.2 million to sign it UK-wide. Very soon there will be over 60 websites for over 60 new Local People Parties for every region in the UK all with the petition.
SOUTH SCOTLAND PEOPLE is not yet registered with the Electoral Commission, so I am standing as an independent, however I am bound by the constitution of the party. The key difference is:
ELECT ME AND YOU WILL BE MY BOSS
For every vote in Holyrood, I will take instructions on how to vote from the majority of the members of SOUTH SCOTLAND PEOPLE from the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse constituency – directly. When there is a vote, I will email the members of the party informing them how I would like to vote and why. However, it will be up to the members to get involved, vote and instruct me on how to vote.
It is free to join the party so everyone can get involved. For those members who choose not to guide me on how to vote and for those who choose not to join the party, they can have confidence knowing that how I vote on behalf of everyone in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse will be guided by a team of local people who have decided to get involved and tell me how to vote on their and your behalf.
As our proposal is such a game changer. So, please really consider donating far more than you would normally donate to a political party.
By-elections have nationwide significance. It is important that as many people as possible vote, especially those who do not usually vote. You have a responsibility to step up on behalf of all of Scotland.
Printed by Pace Print 19 South Clerk St Edinburgh EH8 9JD. Promoted by Marc Wilkinson 6 Morningside Drive Edinburgh EH10 5LY.
Send a clear message to Government and established political parties that there is a consensus across Scotland that people do not feel that they are being properly represented. People feel that other interests have a greater influence over their representatives than the people’s interests. Scotland is fed up!
SOUTH SCOTLAND PEOPLE was officially founded on the 30th of April 2025 as an unincorporated association by me, Marc Wilkinson, Morag Macrae and Mark Rowbotham. Respectively, we are Interim Party Leader, Interim Treasurer and Interim Secretary. Together with the people of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse we are making a stand. Everyone should really vote IMHO and especially for me!
We expect this election leaflet, and my campaign will inspire thousands from all over the South Scotland Region to come forward, sign our petition, subscribe to being informed by the party. The constitution of the party ensures that candidates will be selected by the members.
As soon as possible, SOUTH SCOTLAND PEOPLE will have elections to elect a new party leader, treasurer & secretary and Mark, Morag and I can resign. Thereafter, members will vote on the party’s policies including the proposed policies overleaf and any other policies put forward by the members.
This is not pie in the sky: I would like to inspire you with what we have achieved in Edinburgh.
On the 14th of Nov 2024 I stood in the Edinburgh Council by-election for the Colinton/Fairmilehead ward to replace Scott Arthur who had been elected MP in the July 2024 General Election. 4.4% of the voters gave me their 1st or 2nd preference vote. I worked very hard speaking to over 650 people on the doorstep and a total of 485 people gave me their 1st, 2nd, 3rd of 4th preference votes.
The video above includes my ten-minute doorstep presentation which secured me my votes.
Unusually, there was a 2nd by-election on the 23rd of January 2025. I was chosen by the members of EDINBURGH PEOPLE to stand again. Apart from being the middle of an icy Winter, it was a heaven-sent opportunity for us to build within ten weeks with the same electorate. So, I worked hard again.
This time 7.9% of the voters gave me their 1st or 2nd preference. This represented a +79% growth in the share of the 1st & 2nd preference votes within ten weeks in the same ward.
For Holyrood EDINBURGH PEOPLE only needs to secure around 6% of the votes on the regional list to secure one MSP. This target has already been smashed. If the members of the party, select me to be number one on the list there is a very distinct possibility I will be elected as one of the seven regional MSPs for the Edinburgh & Lothian East region.
Normally, with elections it is one person one vote so if someone has always voted Labour a new party would have to first persuade them to stop voting Labour before securing their vote, which is hard.
Uniquely, for the Scottish Parliament elections everyone has two votes and elects up to two different MSPs. One is through the First Past the Post system. The second vote is on the regional list and for many the second vote is a bit of an aside. Most people choose the same party or maybe the Greens. The key is that for the Scottish Parliament elections people can continue voting traditionally for their constituency MSP, and at the same time they can vote on the regional list for SOUTH SCOTLAND PEOPLE their local party looking after the interests of people from the South Scotland Region first and foremost.
We all know, politics is broken! We need change! Families who had given up voting came out to vote for me in Edinburgh. If everyone who has given up on the main political parties and their politicians who have to tow their party’s line to protect their careers turns out to vote for SOUTH SCOTLAND PEOPLE the South Scotland Region can easily elect one MSP to Holyrood who will be bound to actually represent their electorate. The Additional Member electoral system means that any political party who secures around 6% or 25,000 list votes will secure one MSP to Holyrood Parliament.
Please email or message me any questions or if you can help with our election campaign.
Most importantly sign and share the petition! Seriously consider forwarding the link on WhatsApp.
Yours faithfully,
Marc Wilkinson
Interim Party Leader
SOUTH SCOTLAND PEOPLE
M:+44 7791 843 702