Joanna Cherry, co-founder of pro-independence group Lawyers for Yes has been selected by the SNP as their candidate for Edinburgh South West in the general election.
Joanna is Edinburgh born and bred and a graduate of Edinburgh University. She has been in practice as an advocate in the Scottish courts for 20 years and hopes to keep up the long-standing tradition of Edinburgh South West/Pentlands being represented by a senior member of the Faculty of Advocates.
Joanna has previously held the public offices of Standing Junior Counsel to the Scottish Government and Advocate Depute (High Court Prosecutor). She was one of the first specialist sex crimes prosecutors in the Crown Office’s pioneering National Sex Crimes Unit. She became a QC in 2009 and is ranked by the Legal 500 and Chambers UK as one of the leading QCs in Scotland. She has a strong commitment to social justice and has carried out pro bono work as well as working with bodies such as Womens Aid and Rape Crisis.
Joanna has been a member of the SNP since 2008. She campaigned heavily during the independence referendum persuading nearly 200 lawyers to publicly declare their support of the Yes campaign, as well as writing newspapers articles, press releases, speaking at debates and public meetings and appearing on radio and television.
Commenting on her Facebook page after being chosen, Ms Cherry said:
Delighted and honoured to have been chosen as the SNP candidate for Edinburgh South West, and from such a strong field. I would like to assure all those who voted for me that I will fight as hard as I can to win this seat and, when I get to Westminster, I will do them, my constituents, my party and my country proud.
Her selection has been endorsed by former First Minister Alex Salmond who commented:
Joanna Cherry is just the type of MP the SNP needs – articulate, intelligent and determined to secure the best for Scotland. I look forward to campaigning with her and working with her at Westminster and in Scotland.
in the last election Labour had a majority of 8,447 ahead of Conservative candidate Jason Rust, with the SNP coming fourth. Joanna Cherry will be competing against Labour candidate Ricky Henderson, Conservative candidate Gordon Lindhurst, Liberal Democrat candidate Daniel Farthing-Sykes and Green candidate Richard Doherty.
