Anne Begg

Anne Begg was elected as the Labour MP for Aberdeen South to the House of Commons on 1st May 1997. She was the first permanent wheelchair user ever to be elected to Parliament.

Her political interests include welfare reform, pensions, equality and broadcasting. She was active in the debate to allow embryonic stem cell research and has been a member of the Work and Pensions Select Committee since 2001. She also chairs a number of All Party including the Offshore Oil and Gas Group.

Before becoming an MP Anne was an English teacher and in 1988 she was named Disabled Scot of the Year.

Amanda Harvie

Amanda has been closely associated with Aberdeen since she first moved to the North East in 1992. As Chamber chief executive she led the business lobby to secure Scottish Executive support for a Modern Transport System for the region, including the Western Peripheral Route, and significantly raised Aberdeen's profile throughout Scotland and beyond. Amanda also helped to start 125 new businesses in the North East when she was regional manager of the Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust.

Amanda (45) is the managing director of The Harvie Consultancy which she founded in December to advise leaders of companies and organisations on how to engage effectively with the stakeholders and influencers that affect their interests around the world.

She was previously chief executive of Scottish Financial Enterprise from May 2003 to July 2007. Before then, she was chief executive of Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce from November 1999 to April 2003.

Amanda was born and educated in Glasgow and is a graduate of London University. During her career she has served on various government forums including the Scottish Executive's Financial Services Strategy Group.

Amanda is a member of the advisory group established by the Shadow Chancellor, George Osborne MP to provide guidance to the Conservative Party on implementing its plans to reform the regulation of the financial services industry.

Amanda lived in the Aberdeen South constituency for the majority of her term at the Chamber of Commerce. Until she moved to Edinburgh in January last year. She will be based in Aberdeen for the remainder of the general election campaign with the aim of moving back to the city permanently as MP for Aberdeen South.

John Sleigh

John Sleigh was born in Aberdeen and raised on his family farm in Aberdeenshire. After studying at University in Glasgow, he returned to the North East to work on the family farm.

Over the years, John has been heavily involved in a number of community groups, charities and social enterprises in Aberdeen South. He set up and served as chairperson of Friends of Doonies. This is a social enterprise created to take on the running of a community farm in Aberdeen. John wants government to put more effort into promoting community projects for local people.

Now living in Rosemount John enjoys cycling and cooking in his spare time.

Mark McDonald

Mark is the Deputy Leader of the SNP Group on Aberdeen City Council, and Vice Convenor of the Housing & Environment Committee. He is also Vice Convenor of Grampian Joint Fire Board and previously convened the Council's Appeals Committee.

Elected in 2007 with the most first preference votes of any candidate, Mark grew up in Dyce and currently lives there with his wife and young son.

Previously Mark worked for Richard Lochhead MSP and Maureen Watt MSP and currently works part-time for Nigel Don MSP.