THERE was standing room only in the Eastgate Theatre on Friday night as the SNP's candidate for Tweeddale was celebrated at her adoption night.
Kim Marshall, who will represent the SNP at this year's general election for the Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale (DCT) constituency.
On Friday night Ms Marshall outlined how she aims to represent Peeblesshire and be "a strong, tenacious and constant voice in Westminster".
She said: “After 14 years of an embarrassingly dysfunctional Conservative government, the people of Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale deserve better than a Conservative-created cost of living crisis, a state pension that is amongst the lowest in the world, a Brexit we didn’t vote for in Scotland, a Conservative government that appears reluctant to acknowledge climate change, and a system where ‘cronyism is king’, designed to benefit the wealthiest.
"A vote for the SNP will be a vote for the people in Scotland, for Scottish Independence, a better way of doing things and a brighter future for the generations that follow.
"I pledge that a vote for me will be a vote for an MP with a strong and bold voice for everyone in DCT”.
Ms Marshall will be one of the candidates vying for the DCT seat currently held by Conservative MP David Mundell.
At the Eastgate Ms Marshall was joined by a number of speakers, including Mairi McAllan - Clydesdale MSP and Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Just Transition - youth supporter Cameron Greer, from Langholm, and Glasgow Central MP Alison Thewliss.
During Friday's event Ms Marshall assured the crowd that there is "no room for complacency" and that she and her campaign team - led by campaign manager Stewart Dickson - will be "rolling up their sleeves" to "secure a historic victory".
Speaking on Ms Marshall's campaign, Alison Thewliss MP said: “Kim is very much the next woman in the line of bold, tenacious and compassionate SNP women that will stand up for Scotland in Westminster.
"Her experience which she will bring to bear in Westminster, her experience of working in Whitehall, will be absolutely invaluable in putting Scotland’s case forward.
"She’ll be a brilliant candidate, a brilliant MP. Kim is someone who will stand up for all the communities in DCT, make sure that their voices are heard, make sure that the voiceless are represented, that people who have been ignored for far too long have that voice.
"I firmly believe that Kim will be that voice. I’m sure she will be a fabulous MP."
As the night came to a close, Mr Dickson gave a vote of thanks to volunteers who helped set up the event, to the Eastgate Theatre for hosting, and to Forsyths of Peebles butchers for catering the event.
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