Banff and Buchan general election candidates on campaign trail
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ALL political parties have now announced their General Election candidates for the Banff and Buchan constituency.
Conservative David Duguid, defending his seat, is up against the SNP's Paul Robertson, Liberal Democrat Alison Smith and Labour's Brian Balcombe.
Mr Balcombe, from Banff, was selected with an overwhelming majority of the vote at a recent hustings of the Banff and Buchan Constituency Labour Party.
He has lived in north east Scotland for almost 30 years and served as a Councillor with the Grampian Regional Council for seven years.
After his selection, he said: "I am relishing the chance to fight for Banff and Buchan in the forthcoming General Election. I think Labour has the far sighted and far reaching policies necessary to make a difference to everyone.
"I am looking forward to fighting for the many, not the few."
SNP candidate Paul Robertson, who used to work at MP Eilidh Whiteford's office, will be hoping to overturn a deficit of 3693 and defeat the Conservatives.
He said: "It is a privilege to be selected as the SNP’s candidate for Banff and Buchan. The hard working people of this constituency would be hard hit by the devastating impact of a Tory no-deal Brexit that nobody voted for and will make us all poorer.
"It has never been clearer that the only way to protect Scotland’s interests is through independence. At this important election, people will have the opportunity to oppose a damaging no deal Brexit and send Westminster a message that Scotland must have the right to choose our own future."
The candidate for the Conservative Party is David Duguid, standing for re-election after taking the seat from the SNP in 2017.
He said: "This election has been called because MPs have been unable or unwilling to deliver on the 2016 vote by the British people to leave the EU. People in Banff and Buchan now have a very clear choice.
"You can vote SNP for more division and delay – with another two referendums next year. Or you can vote Scottish Conservative to stop Nicola Sturgeon and get Brexit sorted.
"We have a deal backed by Scotland’s fishing industry, our farming sector and all our leading business bodies. It is time to get it over the line so we can all move on."
Finally, University lecturer Alison Smith, who studied the democratisation of eastern European politics at Oxford Uni, will contest the seat for the Liberal Democrats.
Ms Smith, who used to work for Malcolm Bruce, said: "I'm here to stand up tall and to give people a good option. If people want change they should vote for something different.
"People are tired and jaded at the moment and looking for inspiration. They are fed up of people arguing and too many local issues are being neglected.
"With the NHS there is an issue with staffing. We can see it across Banffshire and Buchan – for example in Chalmers Hospital. Services have been cut back and the hospital quite often has empty beds.
"Food bank use and levels of inequality in places like Peterhead is shocking. We need to focus on this stuff."
Due to the seat being held by the Conservatives, the Brexit Party will be standing aside in an attempt to boost the Tory vote. The Green Party are also not fielding a candidate, in line with 2017. UKIP, although standing in neighbouring Moray, also have no candidate in Banff and Buchan.
