Jo Swinson chosen to fight for East Dunbartonshire

12.00.00am GMT Wed 21st Jan 2004

East Dunbartonshire Lib Dems have selected Jo Swinson as the prospective candidate for the new Westminster constituency of East Dunbartonshire. With the Lib Dems holding 12 out

of the 19 Council wards and running East Dunbartonshire Council, the new constituency is set to be a key battleground between the Liberal Democrats and Labour at the next General Election.

A former Douglas Academy pupil and now a Milngavie Community Councillor, Jo grew up in East Dunbartonshire and has twice been a parliamentary candidate - in 2001 against John Prescott in Hull East, and in 2003 for the Scottish Parliament in Strathkelvin & Bearsden.

A graduate of the London School of Economics, Jo lives in Keystone Quadrant, Milngavie and works in Glasgow as the Marketing Manager for SpaceandPeople, an award-winning small media business.

Commenting on her selection Jo said:

"There is a fantastic team of Liberal Democrat Councillors and activists in East Dunbartonshire, working hard for local people in the community and on the Council. Our next challenge is to elect a Lib Dem MP to work hard for local people at Westminster. The new boundaries create a marginal seat giving the Lib Dems a real opportunity to win the constituency from Labour. I look forward to proving that there is a credible, keen and creative alternative to Labour in the West of Scotland."