Tag Archives: duncan dunlop

Duncan Dunlop MSP’s first speech: a compelling commitment to improving things for children in care.

By Caron Lindsay | Wed 27th May 2026 - 3:39 pm

Yesterday, our new MSP for the South of Scotland, Duncan Dunlop, made his first speech in the Holyrood Parliament and it had me simultaneously in bits, furious and relieved that vulnerable children in our care system now have a champion they can look to in Parliament to fight their corner.

He was withering in his criticism of the Scottish Government’s flailing reform of the care system. He described a horrible incident experienced by a young man who had just been rejected by his mum. He read out the first names and children of care-experienced children he had known who had died, and saying he estimated that over 2 million days of life will not be lived by them and other care experienced young people who have died.

His critique includes the failed Promise, which was intended as the benchmark for the care system in Scotland.

Duncan, who is a former youth worker and Chief Executive of Who Cares? Scotland. He told the stories of young people who the state has failed.

Watch here.

The text is below:

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged scottish parliament and speeches | 3 Comments

Lib Dems pick charity chief exec and environmental campaigner to top South Scotland list

By The Voice | Thu 24th July 2025 - 2:02 pm

Scottish Liberal Democrats have announced that charity chief executive Duncan Dunlop and environmental campaigner Ray Georgeson will top the party’s list for the South of Scotland region at the Scottish Parliament election next May.

Duncan was born in Kinloch Rannoch on the edge of the Scottish Highlands. After studying at Edinburgh University, he lived in many places across the world and the UK, before returning to Scotland in 2008. He is a keen rugby enthusiast and coaches mini rugby.

Professionally Duncan is a qualified youth worker and an experienced chief executive who specializes in care system reform with over 25 years’ experience of working with and for vulnerable young people in the UK, New Zealand, West Africa, post-communist Lithuania and post-conflict Western Balkans.

For nearly a decade he was the Chief Executive of Who Cares? Scotland, which he transformed into a globally respected advocacy organization, refining its focus to boldly represent care experienced voices and champion their rights. Duncan led the case for reforming care in Scotland which created the Scottish Care Review (2017). He was the expert independent adviser to the English Care Review (2022) and New Zealand Review (2015).

Ray Georgeson is an award-winning recycling campaigner and experienced former local councillor and council leader. He has had a successful career in the recycling and resource management industries over many decades, with roles in the public, private and voluntary sectors. He is presently a senior manager in a major Scottish environmental organisation. Ray contested Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk for the Liberal Democrats in the 2024 General Election.