Jackie Dunbar: 'I've got a voice that only a Hoover should hear'

What was the first record that you ever bought?

Vienna by Ultravox. It was one of the first things I bought when I got my first part-time job.

What record will always get you on the dance floor?

Livin’ on a Prayer - as soon as I hear it I’m up. But if my sister is on the go, it's got to be Bruce Springsteen’s Dancing in the Dark.

What is your go-to karaoke song?

I've got a voice that only a hoover should hear. But there's a group of us in parliament that sometimes go out to do karaoke. I understand the joke is that my karaoke song is Tequila by The Champs because it's only got one word.

What songs do you want played at your funeral?

If I went right now, I would like If I Ever Leave This World Alive by Flogging Molly, Édith Piaf’s Non, Je ne Regrette Rien and Bon Jovi’s I'll Sleep When I'm Dead.

What songs or music is guaranteed to make you cry?

I’m not a crying person, but I do get emotional when I hear the pipes. The hair just stands on end for me. And my sister and I go to the Edinburgh Tattoo every year and both of us just absolutely love it when they play The Black Bear going out. It just hits you and it hits you hard.

What music would you always associate with your childhood?

The music I tend to remember most is my dad's music. I could probably still tell you every word of Billie Jo Spears’ Blanket on the Ground or Oh, How I Miss You Tonight by Jim Reeves.

What record do you absolutely hate but can get out of your head?

Oasis, Wonderwall. I hate it with a passion.

What record would you be embarrassed to owning up to having in your collection?

Well, my other half was a DJ when I met him, so we have still got all his collection in our house, and you can imagine the size of that collection. There are just far too many records that should never see the light of day again.

What song do you associate with your political wins?

I don’t have a song that I associate with my political wins because, for me, I've still got to get my big political win, which will be independence. But the song that got me into politics was The Proclaimers’ Cap in Hand. Even to this day, I still “can't understand why we let someone else rule our land”. It just really got to me, made me think, and genuinely helped put me on my path to my interest in politics.