Family comes first as Gail Ross announces she is to quit as MSP
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GAIL Ross has made it clear that family comes first after announcing that she is to step down as an MSP next year due to the demands of travelling to Edinburgh and being away from home.
The SNP MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross made the surprise announcement today, saying she will not be standing as a candidate at the Holyrood elections in 2021.
Mrs Ross, who was elected in 2016, said: "The decision has been reached due to the demands of travelling to Edinburgh and being away from home for sometimes five days a week, every week.
"I want to be able to spend more time with my family, to watch my son grow up and to be more involved in local issues – things I cannot presently do.
"The sheer size of the area I represent also means that I am having difficulty in reaching every part of the constituency on a regular basis and I am not able to represent my constituents in the way they deserve and rightly expect."
She said she had recently asked the Scottish Parliament's standards, procedures and public appointments committee if there was any possibility that members could take part in meetings by video and vote remotely. "If we are to encourage into politics more young people with families who live far away from Edinburgh, this has to be considered," Mrs Ross said.
"It has not been an easy decision to make and I wish to sincerely thank everyone who has supported me in my journey through council and then parliament. It has been a huge privilege to represent the place where I grew up and, although the job has sometimes been very challenging, these years have been some of the most rewarding of my professional career.
"My drive for independence is stronger than ever and I will continue to work to make sure that all families can grow and prosper in an independent Scotland."
Mrs Ross served as a Highland councillor before becoming an MSP four years ago. She was first elected to Highland Council in 2011 in a Wick by-election and held the seat the following year.
In 2012 she became the Caithness civic leader, a post she held until becoming an MSP in 2016.
She has held various roles at Holyrood, including deputy convener of the rural economy and connectivity committee, and served on the public audit committee and the equalities and human rights committee. She is deputy convener of the petitions committee, convener of the Cross-Party Group on the Prevention and Healing of Adverse Childhood Experiences, co-convener of the Cross-Party Group on Food and a member of the education and skills committee.
