Announcement from Dundee Liberal Democrats this afternoon :
Well known Dundee lawyer and jazz singer Alison Burns has become the new Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Dundee West in advance of next year's Scottish Parliamentary elections.
Alison’s life, which saw her go from being the first female apprentice engineer at Timex, to a lawyer and tutor at the University of Dundee and then onto international success as a jazz singer, reflects the modern City of Dundee with its combination of industry, academia and the arts.
Following the announcement of her selection as the Lib Dem candidate Alison said, "It’s a real honour to have been selected as the Lib Dem candidate for Dundee West, the city where I was born, grew up in and love.
I am not a career politician but I got involved in politics because I feel passionate about creating a fairer Scotland and a more prosperous and vibrant Dundee.
I hope to knock on thousands of doors over the coming months and personally meet with as many local residents as possible in order to act on their concerns to establish a credible alternative to Labour and the SNP in Dundee."
Brought up in Downfield in Dundee and educated at St. Columba’s Primary Dundee, Lawside Academy and the University of Dundee, Alison Burns brings wide ranging experience and energy to politics.
On leaving secondary school Alison became one of the first female apprentice engineers at Timex in 1977 before going on to work for British Telecom in Dundee as a draftsperson.
In 1987 she decided to follow her love of the arts by becoming a professional actress working at Dundee Rep before going on to present TV shows for Channel 4 and BBC Scotland as well as acting in theatre, television and film. Around this time her career as a singer was also taking off as she worked with Danny Wilson, Michael Marra and co-founded the well known Dundee singing group The Penny Dainties.
In 1992 she went to college and studied to attain the academic qualifications to be accepted into the Law Faculty at the University of Dundee. Upon graduation she worked as a solicitor for Thorntons WS in Dundee and Arbroath before moving on to becoming a consultant for leading London law firm.
In 2001 she co-founded a successful music company as well as becoming a trustee for a charity.
She joined the Liberal Democrats in 2005 and acted as campaign manager for a number of Parliamentary election campaigns as well as working to increase the number of female candidates in the party.
Alison now sits on the board of Dundee University Students Association (DUSA) as an external trustee and is a practising solicitor specialising in Intellectual Property law.