![Campbell Martin 2021](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/Campbell_Martin_2021.jpg)
Campbell Martin (born 10 March 1960) is a local online
Scottish journalist and former politician.
At the
2003 Scottish Parliament election, he was elected on the
Scottish National Party (SNP) list as a
Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the
West of Scotland. He was expelled from the SNP in 2004, and sat as an independent MSP until the
2007 election, when he was defeated.
Political career
Martin previously worked for
Kay Ullrich
Catherine Mario Ullrich ( née Morrison, 5 May 1943 – 4 January 2021) was a Scottish politician who was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the West of Scotland region from 1999 to 2003. A prominent member of the Scottish Nationa ...
, a SNP MSP. When she indicated she would stand down at the 2003 election, Martin was selected to be the candidate for
Cunninghame North as well as being placed at the top of the SNP's list. At the election he was unsuccessful in the constituency vote, however was elected as a regional member for the West of Scotland.
He was a prominent backer of
Dr Bill Wilson who stood against
John Swinney in the
SNP leadership contest in 2003. He has been critical of the direction of the SNP since becoming an MSP, believing they are being dragged into the political centre away from their traditional left-of-centre position. He also believes the party is not vociferous enough in its advocation of
Scottish independence.
He was suspended from the Scottish National Party on 25 April 2004 after making repeated public criticism of John Swinney, and was expelled from the SNP on 10 July 2004, soon after Swinney had resigned.
After becoming an Independent MSP, Campbell Martin played a prominent role in fighting a number of decisions taken by Labour-led North Ayrshire Council. He has also continued his opposition to what he considers to be the centre-right re-positioning of the SNP and its advocacy of a 'culture of independence' rather than national independence.
Campbell Martin stood as an Independent candidate in the
Cunninghame North constituency at the
May 2007 Scottish Parliament Election, securing 4,423 votes (14.6%), but was not re-elected.
In August 2011 he joined the
Scottish Socialist Party
The Scottish Socialist Party (SSP; gd, Pàrtaidh Sòisealach na h-Alba; sco, Scots Socialist Pairtie) is a left-wing political party campaigning for the establishment of an independent socialist Scotland.
The party was founded in 1998. It c ...
, and on 1 October 2011 he spoke at an SSP fringe meeting in Glasgow following the STUC anti-cuts demonstration. He participated as a delegate at the SSP national conference in March 2012. He was the SSP candidate for the Ardrossan and Arran ward on
North Ayrshire Council in May 2012, but he was not elected.
Journalism
Between 2007 and 2015, Campbell Martin edited the3towns co
an online local newspaper covering the three North Ayrshire towns of
Ardrossan
Ardrossan (; ) is a town on the North Ayrshire coast in southwestern Scotland. The town has a population of 10,670 and forms part of a conurbation with Saltcoats and Stevenston known as the ' Three Towns'. Ardrossan is located on the east shore ...
,
Saltcoats and
Stevenston. He is now the Creative Director of MacAulay Gibson Productions, an independent production company producing factual television programmes and business promos
He was involved in the production of ''The Only Game in Town'', a documentary that looked at the procurement process for the North Ayrshire Schools Public Private Partnership project.
While still producing pro-independence articles for mainly online publications, Campbell Martin is no longer a member of a political party.
Books
Campbell Martin's autobiography - Was It Something I Said? () - was published in October 2021.
A two-book series by Campbell Martin - 'Outspoken - Part One' () and 'Outspoken - Part Two' ()
[https://www.amazon.co.uk/OUTSPOKEN-Part-Two-Campbell-Martin/dp/B0BLKWD49W/ref=sr_1_1?crid=BNRAP41I1BXK&keywords=outspoken+part+two+campbell+martin&qid=1667993499&s=books&sprefix=outspoken+part+two+campbell+martin%2Cstripbooks%2C103&sr=1-1] - covering Scottish politics, society and the independence movement over the past ten years (2013-2022) was published in November 2022.
References
External links
*
his blog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Campbell
1960 births
Living people
Independent MSPs
Scottish National Party MSPs
Members of the Scottish Parliament 2003–2007
Scottish Socialist Party politicians
People from Ardrossan