Community activist Robin Tatler has been selected to stand for Scottish Labour and the Cooperative Party.
Robin worked for more than 20 years as a fund-raiser for local, national and international charities including ChildLine, The Sick Kids Hospital, Edinburgh and the Homeless World Cup.
He now runs a small catering business which operates in Tweedbank. He is actively involved in many local organisations and projects throughout the Borders as a volunteer and board member.
He has three three key election pledges:
n Act as a real opposition on Scottish Borders – all too often there is no effective opposition to damaging decisions made by the council that hurt communities and individuals. Robin says: “I won’t oppose every decision – but I will make sure that those who need a voice on Scottish Borders Council are heard.”
n Put jobs and training for young people first - Scottish Borders Council should have this at the top of their agenda and I will campaign to get support for enterprise and job creation and to reverse the cuts at the Borders College.
n Campaign to bring back local decision-making - the Area Forums are inadequate; they are powerless and don’t meet often enough. Local communities need to have a say in important decisions that affect them for example, the development of wind farms, and issues raised on the doorstep during this campaign such as the need for a community centre in Earlston, and a footpath from Melrose to the BGH.