Stevenson Calls for Banffshire Name to be Preserved in Radical new Boundary Proposals

Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson has called for the Banffshire name to be preserved in the proposed redrawing of the boundaries for Scottish Parliament constituencies.

The Bounbdary Commission have published their draft proposals for the North-east which sees radical changes to the current constituency boundaries.

East Aberdeenshire returns, taking in Turriff, Strichen, New Deer, Mintlae, Ellon, Oldmeldrum and Inverurie and a new seat provisionally named Buchan Coast stretches from Boddam in the south round the coast including Peterhead, Fraserburgh, Macduff, Banff and Portsoy from the existing Banff & Buchan seat and also includes Cullen, Portknockie and Buckie from the Moray constituency.

Commenting, Mr Stevenson said:

“The draft proposals from the Boundary Commission have just been published and will obviously need to be considered carefully in light of the huge changes being propsed to the Scottish Parliamentary map.

“However, one glaring omission which jumps out on first reading the proposals is the total absence of any reference to ‘Banff’ or ‘Banffshire’.

“Banffshire as a constituency had a long and proud history and, indeed, was one of the first constituencies in Scotland to lead the way with the election of Hamish Watt as its first ever SNP MP in 1974.

“The Banff name lives on in the Banff & Buchan constituency but given that the proposed new seat stretching from Buckie to Peterhead contains much of the Banffshire coast I would hope that this can be reflected in the final proposals which come forward.”
The Boundary Commission proposals may be viewed at

http://www.bcomm-scotland.gov.uk/ and responses to the consultation are welcomed.