| Nigel Don said he’d taken the difficult decision to give up his job of 15 years as a piano teacher to focus his efforts on representing Lochee in the council and North East Scotland at the Scottish Parliament.
Mr Don was speaking after SNP colleague Stefan Tymkewycz, who was elected as a List MSP for Edinburgh, resigned to focus on being a councillor in the city.
Prior to his election to the Scottish Parliament, Mr Don was a self employed musician, performer, teacher, arranger and composer.
“Mr Tymkewycz runs a business as well, so he was holding onto three jobs and decided he simply had to jump,” said Mr Don. “I’ve effectively got rid of my third job as a piano teacher.
“Now I’m in a position of only being a councillor and regional list MSP — that is perfectly workable, but whether that’s a good thing, that is debatable.”
Mr Don was elected as one of the four councillors for the new multi-member Lochee ward under the proportional representation system introduced for the first time for Scottish local authority elections. He was also a candidate for the SNP on the regional list for North East Scotland and, to his admitted surprise, found himself elected as an MSP.
Mr Don indicated immediately after the elections he did not intend to take the salary to which he is entitled as a councillor. He will, however, reclaim expenses for things like travel and subsistence.
In terms of carrying out constituency duties, Mr Don said the new Dundee ward structure will allow SNP colleague Bob Duncan to “take up the slack.”
“At the moment I feel that I’m capable of fulfilling both roles to the benefit of my constituents,” he said, adding, “But time will tell.” |
