Third Aberdeenshire councillor joins the Alba Party
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Fraserburgh councillor Brian Topping has left the SNP to join the new ALBA list party for the Scottish elections.
Councillor Topping has been an SNP Councillor for 37 years and successful in twelve successive electoral contests and is one of the longest-serving SNP councillors in Scotland.
He has been invited to join the ALBA list for the north-east of Scotland in the Scottish elections.
His move follows that of fellow councillors Leigh Wilson and Alistair Bews.
Speaking on the move, he said: “I am honoured to have been asked to stand for ALBA and will be proud to stand with Alex Salmond in the forthcoming contest.
"Many of us in the national movement are feeling reinvigorated over the last few days with more discussion about independence than there has been for years.
"It is like the best days of the YES campaign of 2014.
"People are beginning to realise that list votes for the SNP are wasted with up to a million votes cast for no return in MSPs.
"If these votes come to ALBA we have the opportunity to create a supermajority in the next Scottish Parliament.
"I will be urging my constituents to cast both votes YES - the constituency vote for SNP but the regional list vote for ALBA.
"I have written to my local branch and to the SNP centrally to explain my decision.
"However, having canvassed opinion locally I am doing what so many other people are thinking.
He continued: "Although I have many friends in the local SNP the national leadership have disgraced themselves with their tawdry comments over the last few days.
"In contrast in ALBA we have been given one primary directive.
"Everything we say and do is to further the cause of Scottish independence and our campaign will be entirely positive locally and nationally”.
