A LONG-SERVING SNP activist who stood against Donald Dewar in the first election to the reconvened Scottish Parliament is hoping to get elected to Holyrood next year.

Kaukab Stewart, who works as a teacher in Glasgow, has been a an active member for more than 26 years and is currently convener of the party’s Glasgow Kelvin Branch.

She lost out to the former Labour Secretary of State for Scotland by 16,749 to 5756 votes in May 1999 and Dewar who went on to become the first First Minister of the devolved Labour/LibDem coalition government.

Dewar tragically died in October 2000 of a brain haemorrhage at the age of 63 while still in office.

Stewart, who worked as a teacher for almost 30 years, has thrown her hat into the ring to win the SNP’s nomination for Glasgow Kelvin where the sitting SNP MSP Sandra White last week announced she would not be standing to return to Parliament next May.

Along with other women from an ethnic minority background, Stewart’s election would make her one of the first female BAME MSPs to enter Holyrood.

Not only did she take on Scotland’s first First Minister in 1999 as the first-ever Ethnic Minority candidate for the SNP but she also stood against former Alastair Darling in his Edinburgh South West constituency in 2010.

Stewart said: “In these elections I knew my chances of being elected were close to zero but it was that dream of a better nation which inspired me to carry on… It’s thanks to the hard work of the activists

I worked with then that we are where we are today”.

She is widely regarded as a talented choice to succeed White given her long service in the party as a grassroots activist, her experience in education and attempts to get more BAME women elected to the Scottish Parliament.

She told The National: “The coming parliamentary term is perhaps the most important that we have ever faced as a party and as a nation. This election is our opportunity to make Scotland’s voice heard loud and clear… As a member of the Scottish Parliament I will work tirelessly to build a fairer, more equal and independent Scotland.”

She added: “I have been absolutely delighted to receive the backing and encouragement of local members in Glasgow Kelvin. My experience as a previous candidate, an activist and as a teacher puts me in a strong position to help build a better Scotland which works for all of us.”

Education is likely to be a key issue in May’s election. Stewart believes that having a long-standing teacher as an SNP candidate can “take the wind out of the Tories’ sails” in regards to the discussion around the attainment gap.

Stewart commented: “Like every teacher, I am aware of the issues in Scottish education. However, like all of my colleagues I am incredibly proud of the work that we do each and every day to improve the life chances of the young people we teach. We simply don’t hear enough about that.”

She added: “The SNP in government have done great work to improve education in Scotland but there is still much more to do. My first hand experience puts me in a strong position to contribute to this and make sure nobody is left behind.”