Aileen McLeod for Europe!

It’s been my privilege to serve the party in Europe as part of Alyn Smith’s team, and I hope to take that work a stage further, building on my experience in Brussels and continuing the excellent hard work of our MEPs since Winnie Ewing first entered the European Parliament in 1975. For this reason, I hope to be selected as a candidate for the SNP to contest the European elections in June 2009. It would be a true honour to follow in Winnie’s footsteps as well as those of Allan Macartney, Ian Hudghton, Neil MacCormick, and Alyn Smith.

With the first SNP Government in Scotland, our relationships across Europe have become even more important – part of the drive towards Independence - and it is vital that we continue to work constructively for Scotland's vital economic and social interests.

This is an opportunity to prepare Scotland for independence, forging strategic alliances with other Member States, developing Scotland's profile in Europe and winning us friends.

We can do a lot through the European Parliament to influence Scotland’s future, and we must make sure that the candidates we select are ready to take on that task.

During the European Parliament's 2009-2014 term of office there will be key EU policy challenges for Scotland - on energy and climate change, economic and social cohesion, agriculture, sustainable development, research and development, justice and home affairs, and fisheries for example, and it is vital that we have our top team there to fight Scotland’s corner.

I hope to serve as a working MEP in Brussels and a listening MEP in Scotland, encouraging greater involvement as well as a joined up approach with Scotland's Government and ultimately making the EU work better for Scotland.

My experience, expertise and inside knowledge of how the EU institutions work will help me to deliver that hard work and political edge for Scotland and for the SNP.

I hope you’ll support me to become one of our candidates.