The Scottish Borders is a place that is packed with amazing tradition; from the Kelso Laddie to the Eyemouth Herring Queen Festival. But could there be a break with tradition at the 2026 Scottish Parliament election? Ever since the inception of its current boundaries in 2011, there has been a tradition for voters in the constituency of Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire (all in the south of the Scottish Borders), to always elect a Conservative MSP.
But John Redpath, first-time candidate for the Scottish National Party (SNP) has other ideas, as he seeks to win the seat from the incumbent Conservative MSP, Rachel Hamilton. Will he bring an end to the tradition by becoming the first SNP MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire? And if successful, what plans does he have for the region?
Who is John Redpath?
Born in the Scottish Borders and hailing from the village of Gordon, John Redpath became politically interested at 14 years of age, while taking Modern Studies at Earlston High School. At 15, he did work experience with a local MSP and a local councillor, joining the SNP a couple of weeks later. He first voted in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, sparking an interest in grassroots activism which has stayed with him.
John has been involved in many campaigns during his time in politics, but this is the first time he has ever stood as a candidate. Describing the experience as “a bit surreal”, John is leading from the front with his mission to represent the people of Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire and is unwavering in his determination to serve and improve the region.
John’s priorities
Reflecting the feeling that many in the Scottish Borders feel forgotten about by those in power, John says that, if elected, “…nobody would be forgetting where the Borders was.” He argues that the region is not a remote part of Scotland. He wants to challenge depopulation by pushing for regional investment. He wants to put the Borders firmly on the map and make sure that its citizens have the “loudest voice possible.”
Decisions made by Scotland in Scotland
Should the SNP remain the strongest party in Bute House at the next Scottish election, they will undoubtedly push for a second independence referendum and seek to convince the people of Scotland to support the nation becoming an independent country. John Redpath is fully supportive of independence. When asked how he would convince his constituents to support him in a region that rejected independence by 67% to 33% in the last referendum, John said, “…people care more about who you are and whether you have the best interests of our region at heart.” He said that the people of the Scottish Borders are very “independent thinking” in that “they don’t really care about the party label” but more about who the candidate is and whether they are genuine.
Energy is another major issue
John observes Scotland is an “…energy rich country with the highest bills…” where the Scottish Borders are “oversubscribed” to renewable technologies but are not benefitting from that investment. “It’s our energy, let’s make it work for us.” This is a big talking point that John Redpath will be stressing throughout the election and beyond.
Eliminate income inequality
When asked if he could do one thing to improve the lives of his constituents John said, “The biggest drain for people, is the fact that so much is held by so few while people are struggling and getting nowhere despite working harder and harder. A society that looks after people, gives people dignity back with their work and changes the imbalances of the economy would make Scotland a much better country than we are now.”
In a ‘true-blue’ Conservative constituency, John Redpath is hoping to make inroads where no SNP Holyrood candidate has ever gone before. But in a traditional Tory-voting area, will John Redpath breakthrough to deliver his priorities as part of a governing party?
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