John Swinney currently the MSP for North Tayside has been selected as the SNP candidate for the new constituency of Perthshire North at next year’s Scottish Parliament elections.
Under Boundary Commission changes that come into effect across Scotland for the Holyrood elections next May, North Tayside is being split in three ways: Brechin and Forfar have been placed in a new Angus North and the Mearns seat, Kirriemuir, Glamis, Newtyle and the Glens have been placed in the Angus South seat, and the majority of North Tayside will go into the Perthshire North constituency.
The new constituency of Perthshire North will be made up of Highland Perthshire, East Perthshire, Scone, the Carse of Gowrie, and the City Centre, Muirton, North Muirton, Balhousie, Kinnoull and Gannochy areas within the City of Perth.
Mr Swinney said he had been forced to choose one part of his constituency over another as a result of boundary changes he did not support.
“I have made clear how much I am opposed to the changes to parliamentary constituencies being forced upon us by the Boundary Commission for Scotland,” he said.
“This process of continual change just causes confusion amongst the electorate. Over the last 21 years, I have been proud to have been the SNP candidate in North Tayside and to have built up strong bonds with members of the public and with communities throughout the seat.
“As a result of the Boundary Commission plans, I have been forced to choose which part of my current constituency I will contest. This has been a very difficult decision, made more difficult by the great experience I have had in representing all of the communities since 1997.
“I have opted to stand for election in the largest area that remains of my current seat, and that is in Perthshire North. I very much regret the fact that I will not be able to stand in Angus and I hope local residents understand this is a difficult decision that has been forced upon me.
“I will, of course, continue to represent the people of Forfar, Brechin, Kirriemuir and the surrounding areas in Angus within the Scottish Parliament right up until the elections in May 2011 as faithfully as I have done since 1997. And I would want to place on record my deep thanks to my constituents in
Angus who have supported me so strongly during these years.”HonouredMr Swinney who at the last election polled 51.6% of the votes cast, the highest vote of any constituency candidate in the Scottish Parliament elections said he was honoured to be selected to contest the new seat of Perthshire North.
“Over the last 21 years, I have been proud to have been the SNP candidate in North Tayside and to have built up strong bonds with members of the public and with communities throughout the seat,” he said.
“I look forward to continuing to develop these connections with the areas I have represented for many years and look forward to working with the new areas that are part of the Perthshire North seat.”
Councillor Ian Miller, convener of Perthshire North SNP, said, “We are delighted to have chosen John Swinney to be our candidate for the next Scottish Parliament elections.
“John has established a formidable reputation as an excellent constituency representative since his election to Westminster in 1997 and we look forward to him building on that in all of the local communities. He was the sole nominee for the seat, a mark of how highly he is regarded by all in the Scottish National Party.
“John has established a powerful record as cabinet secretary for finance and sustainable growth in the SNP Scottish Government and we look forward to campaigning with him for the return of another SNP Government in Scotland.”
SNP candidates will shortly be chosen to stand for election in the new seats of Angus South and Angus North and Mearns.