For decades, Scotland has operated on a model of reaction. Our systems—our Council, our Health Service, our communities—are designed to catch us after we fall, not prevent the fall in the first place.
This has created gaps in governance that leave us vulnerable. We saw it during Covid-19, and we see it in our daily lives when local support services are fragmented and hard to access.
My career has been dedicated to bridging those gaps.
I am not a career politician; I am a practitioner of preparedness. Currently, I serve as a Resilience Officer with Falkirk Council. My role is centered on analyzing systemic vulnerabilities and coordinating response plans.
In this position, I have learned a critical lesson: Real resilience isn’t built from the top-down. It’s built from the bottom-up, in our communities.
But the job I do at the Council has limits. Our current setup is too often reactive and disconnected from the everyday voluntary organizations, churches, and neighborhood groups that are actually on the ground.
I am standing as an Independent candidate for this constituency because the challenges we face are too significant to be managed through party politics. Parties promote division; my mission is to coordinate and connect.
Independence allows me to focus solely on the pragmatic, effective solutions that work for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, such as:
Community Resilience Hubs: Establishing a formal, local network where our existing community organizations are empowered, trained, and connected to the Council and NHS.
Pre-Harm Legal Education: Advancing my pilot program of age-appropriate legal education in schools to stop sexual offenses and consent violations before they happen.
Shared Success and Mentorship: Actively sharing skills, business successes, and mentorship across different areas to ensure our entire constituency thrives, not just pockets of it.
My professional experience is built on systems, preparation, and prevention. I am offering the people of Falkirk East and Linlithgow a different kind of representation—one that is focused on strengthening our foundation, not reacting to the cracks.
On election day, you have a vital choice:
For your First Vote, I ask for your vote for me, Ian Wallace El-Paget, as your constituency representative.
For your Second Vote, you still have your vote for the party of your choice for the regional list.
Let’s stop reacting. Let’s start preparing. Let’s build a stronger, safer, more connected Falkirk.