Inverurie stars in Sky News' election programme
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Inverurie was at the centre of national attention last week, as Sky News' Path To Power election series rolled into town with their election bus.
The programme, presented by Mark Austin, anchor of Sky News' The News Hour with Mark Austin and the channel's News at Six has been touring across the UK looking at key battlegrounds ahead of next month's general election.
Prior to visiting the Gordon constituency, which includes Inverurie, as well as Ellon, Huntly, Kintore and Oldmeldrum respectively, the programme has been in several constituencies across the UK, including Reading in Berkshire, Thurrock in Essex and Sheffield Hallam in Yorkshire.
Prior to the live show on Thursday, November 21, Mr Austin visited several locations in Gordon, including a butcher shop and a whisky distillery to ask people's opinion on the upcoming vote.
During the live show, a number of well-known faces in Inverurie were interviewed on national TV about the election and what matters to them.
Being interviewed first included We Are Inverurie – BID chairman Derek Ritchie, owner of Sinclairs Jewellers Ian Sinclair and retired oil worker Rae Jardine.
Later on in the show director of Inverurie Whisky Shop Mike Stuart, postmaster of Inverurie Post Office Rory Will and chairman of the Inverurie Business Association Victoria Withy were all interviewed live on air.
Speaking exclusively to the Inverurie Advertiser, Mark Austin said: “We've been down in Glasgow and we were talking a lot there about independence and the SNP and up here there's a very interesting battle, because the Conservatives are doing quite well here and hold the constituency.
“I am very interested to see how Brexit is playing into the whole election up here and what impact it will have.
"We've met businessmen today who some said they voted remain, but for the sake of their business, they now actually just want to get on with it.
“You've got this picture, certainly down south, of Scotland as this remain, staunchly remain country and of course it is, but there are pockets here and that makes it very interesting.
“There's also all sorts of other things here that make it very interesting for us to film, the whisky, malt whisky industry, Aberdeen Angus beef, there's a lot going on up here that makes very good television for us.”
Standing in the Gordon constituency at next month's election is incumbent Conservative Member of Parliament (MP), Colin Clark, Labour's Heather Herbert, the Liberal Democrats' James Oates and the SNP's Richard Thomson respectively.
