Liberal Democrats announce candidate for Buckie by-election caused by resignation of their councillor Chris Price
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THE Liberal Democrats have announced a candidate for a by-election in Buckie which has been triggered by the resignation of their own councillor Chris Price.
Cllr Price, who was elected uncontested in the Buckie ward in May, resigned after just a matter of months – with a by-election set to take place to replace him.
The Lib Dems have announced that Les Tarr, local to the area, will stand for them in the by-election.
Mr Tarr is so far the only candidate announced for the by-election, which is set to cost around £20,000. A date is yet to be set.
Mr Tarr vowed to focus on the "issues that matter" if elected.
He said: "Post-pandemic, so many people are struggling to pay their bills because of prices shooting up, we need councillors who will focus on the issues that matter to local people.
"Folk need help now. We can't afford to wait for the Tories to sort out their leadership issues or for the SNP to achieve their obsession with independence.
"As a councillor, I would be focused on issues that matter to Buckie, improving transport links to help local businesses, supporting our local health services and seeking to improve our town centre.
"Issues such as street lighting, the state of the local parks, supporting local community groups and anti-social behaviour are being largely ignored by parties who have lost sight of why they are councillors.
"As a Scottish Liberal Democrat, Scotland is in my DNA, but social justice, equity and fairness for all regardless of race or creed is uppermost in every cell in my body.
"We have already seen the damage separating from the EU has done, we can’t afford to make that mistake again."
Neil Alexander, convener of the Moray Lib Dems, added: "We as a party are passionate about representing and helping the people of Buckie.
"Following a proper and thorough selection process, Les Tarr was selected.
"Les is local to the Cullen and Buckie area. As Scottish Liberal Democrats we believe in the local community and protecting council services to the residents of the area.
"Critical at this time is the delivery of health related services from GP’s surgeries, Seafield Hospital in Buckie and the expansion of regional hub at Dr Gray's Hospital.”
