WATCH: Run the Gauntlett - Trust must be earned says Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire SNP candidate Drew Hendry

With days to go before the General Election I took an opportunity to get under the skin of the candidates fighting for our votes. I wanted to look beyond the policies and find out what makes them tick.

We’re starting with Drew Hendry who has been our SNP MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey since 2015 - a territory which no longer exists thanks to boundary changes this time around. It’s now Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire.

During his time in office, he has served in a variety of roles, most recently as the SNP's economy spokesperson in the House of Commons since September 2023.

As I strolled across the wobbly bridge over the River Ness with Drew, cars honked their horns, people waved and tourists stopped for a quick question.

Drew, in his smartly dressed denim jacket and polished shoes, was some sort of a local celebrity. With a steady smile and listening ear, he somehow managed to give a glimmer of hope to those who had washed their hands with current political affairs.

Under the spotlight of the public eye, the SNP candidate spoke about the housing crisis, and green spaces, to lack of democracy and trust.

After seeing that only 60 per cent of 18-19-year-olds registered to vote, in comparison to 96 per cent of pensioners, according to data collected by the Electoral Commission published in 2022, I wanted to know Drew’s thoughts.

He said: “I think there is a problem with a disconnect between young people and politics, there's no doubt about it.

“For instance, the living wage wasn’t available to people under 26, so it’s like they’re being segregated from a policy at Westminster that should have been benefiting them.

“I think there are things like that, that make young people think they’re not going to be taken seriously, so why get involved?

“I think a job for all politicians of any party is to address that concern amongst young people and say that there is a point in voting because it’s their future.

“If you don’t vote, you are going to have policies imposed on you that you didn’t have a choice about.”

Drew acknowledged the current political crisis, as trust in government is decreasing and with little public participation in decisions, such as a general election, there isn’t fair democracy.

He said: “I think that you have to go out and listen to people and speak to people. Trust is something that has to be earned, it’s not something you can just get because you’ve been elected or you’re a candidate.

“I think you have to show a willingness to work hard, to listen to people and act on concerns.

“I think it helps when you have a good track record of actually delivering on some of the things you have been asked to do and I am pleased to say that in my career of politics I have managed to help many thousands of people with cases and we have managed to get a lot of things done across the city.”

When talking about political regrets that concern young people, Drew said: “One of the things that I think is a big regret is having to endure Brexit, so young people don’t get the opportunity, like I did, to go and travel and work abroad. I think that would give young people a bit more inspiration.”

In order to regain trust and support from the younger generation, Drew is now keen to find out about those issues, such as climate change, that they engage with.

He said: “I think we need to look at real things that are going to affect them, such as housing, as well as listen to their concerns to find out a plan.

“A frustration that I have, and I know others will have, is that politicians talk about the next few years of what they are going to do, but I have always felt that we should be looking at 20 to 30 years ahead so that we can actually see what we need to do.

“The Science Skills Academy was about helping young people to get opportunities in fields that we knew jobs in the Highlands would be coming in.

“It is that kind of initiative that we need to be thinking about. What are the effects going to be on young people in 20 years time and what do we need to do now to get that sorted out, as well as what we need to encourage the government to think about.”

The housing crisis is a prominent issue which Drew is keen to resolve with initiatives such as efficient infrastructure, as well as the Help To Buy housing scheme designed to help young people get onto the property ladder.

However, the uniqueness of the Highlands is its sheer amount of green spaces, which Drew is cautious to use ‘properly and considerably’.

He said: “It is important to have green spaces. For instance, when we were developing the West Link project, one of the things we were keen to do was open up land for housing, but also create another park, which we managed to do.

“I think these things need to be done with a bit of thought and planning. There is a lot of land that is zoned already for housing, so I think we need to be pressing ahead with that as quickly as we can.

“One of the important things about protecting land is about building the right kinds of houses. I think a lot of developers have gotten away with building three to five-bedroom houses, rather than one or two-bedroom houses that would give young people the opportunity to get onto the housing ladder.

“So, yes we need to move into the 21st century and beyond, but we also have to do it in a considerate, careful way.”

With just eight days left before the general election, Drew is busy continuing to build connections with the general public, listening to their concerns and seeking plans to improve those of his constituency.