White has represented Glasgow Kelvin since 2011, and was a regional MSP for Glasgow since the first election to the Scottish Parliament in 1999.
Local Member of Scottish Parliament (MSP), Sandra White, has announced she will be resigning as MSP for Glasgow Kelvin at next year’s Scottish Parliamentary election.
White revealed the announcement during a statement to her constituency association on 27 September, having spent over three decades as an elected representative.
Her constituency includes the university and much of the surrounding area meaning she has often dealt with student issues.
Speaking to Glasgow Live, White said her decision to stand down was a result of change in personal circumstances and the impact of Covid-19 on her work. She also said her departure will make space for “fresh minds”.
Sandra White began her career as a regional MSP in 1999, and she won her current seat in 2011. During her career, White said highlights included her election as convenor of the Social Security Committee and overseeing the Responsible Parking Bill in 2019. She said in her statement that serving the city she grew up in had been: “the honour of my life”.
White told the Herald that supporting the Palestinian people was one of the most challenging aspects of her lifetime, as well as one of the most rewarding. White also stated she would continue Palestine’s international fight for justice after standing-down from official politics, and assisting in international causes where people face oppression and seek social justice, such as in Catalonia.
As well as this, White pledged to continue dedicating time to local activism and the fight for Scottish Independence. In her statement, White said she had: “no doubt that we will see independence for Scotland in my lifetime”. She claimed that the Covid-19 pandemic changed the political and working landscape in Glasgow, including increased calls for a second independence referendum. White told her constituents that although she is standing down, she would still be active in Kelvin and would not stop campaigning for a second referendum.
While thanking her constituents, White said she hoped to be remembered as a grass-roots MSP prioritising constituency and constituents above all else.
Sandra White is the latest in a series of MSPs who are confirming that they will not stand for re-election next May.
Her announcement follows Health Secretary, Jeane Freeman’s statement on Monday which confirmed her plans to quit Holyrood in 2021. As well as former SNP Minister Alex Neil’s announcement on 23 August.
