Stevenson Re-Selected by Local Members to Stand for Holyrood

Banffshire & Buchan Coast MSP Stewart Stevenson has been re-selected to stand as the SNP’s candidate in next year’s Scottish Parliament elections.

Local party members endorsed Mr Stevenson as their candidate for the constituency in a process which saw all of them being consulted on who they wanted as their candidate.

Stewart Stevenson was elected as MSP for Banffshire & Buchan Coast with over 67% of the vote in the 2011 election. Prior to that, he had represented the former Banff & Buchan constituency – which had radically different boundaries – since 2001.

Commenting, Mr Stevenson said:

“It has been an enormous privilege to serve the people of the Banffshire & Buchan Coast Scottish Parliament Constituency, and I am very grateful to the local party members for their endorsement.

“The SNP now has over 1400 members in the constituency and each and every one of them were given the opportunity to be involved in the process.

"The SNP’s structures are based on one-member, one-vote and, unlike some other political parties for whom democracy seems to be causing some problems, SNP members have the opportunity to vote for candidates, national officials, elect the committee that sets conference agendas, shape policy and speak on issues at our conferences.

“I believe that involvement is key to the SNP’s success and I am keen to develop further how we engage with our members.

“I’m looking forward to meeting with as many people as possible between now and the election and I know that the SNP’s team of activists locally are keen to get started. In the meantime, it’s business as usual for me with Parliament resuming this week and a round of surgeries later in September."

Stevenson Welcomes £260,000 for Aberdeenshire Schools

Stewart Stevenson, SNP MSP for Banffshire & Buchan Coast is welcoming £260,000 of funding announced today (Wednesday) for Aberdeenshire to improve the learning environment in our schools and allow for greater partnership working between schools and colleges.

The money from the Inspiring Learning Spaces fund will be used to remodel four classrooms to create innovative teaching and learning environments that are flexible and motivating.

Mr Stevenson said:

“This latest funding underlines the SNP government’s commitment to ensuring every child receives a world class education and will create the modern and creative new learning spaces we need to achieve this.

“The SNP already has a strong record of delivery on schools - since 2007, the 520 schools across Scotland have been built or refurbished.

“But we know that we need to do more to ensure every child has an equal chance to succeed – that’s why the First Minister has made closing the educational attainment gap a priority. If re-elected in 2016, the SNP will continue to build on our strong record on education and will deliver in the face of harsh Westminster cuts.”

The Inspiring Learning Spaces fund encourages the creation of spaces for flexible learning and allows closer partnerships between schools and further education, in line with Curriculum for Excellence.

The fund complements the £1.8 billion Scotland’s Schools for the Future programme.

Whiteford and Stevenson Press UK Government on Potential State Aid Rules Breach

Banff & Buchan MP Eilidh Whiteford, and Banffshire & Buchan Coast MSP Stewart Stevenson have written to the UK Government’s Secretary of State for Business, following the UK Government’s involvement in a reported offer of £1.34m in funding to Young’s Seafood’s Grimsby site.

It has recently emerged that North Lincolnshire Council had worked with the UK Government to devise a £1.34 million funding package to persuade the company to move jobs from Scotland to Grimsby. It is understood that the money comes from unused cash in the area’s Regional Growth Fund. However, Scottish politicians were quick to cast doubt on the funding package, highlighting European Union State Aid rules which place strict limits on the direct financial support governments can offer to companies.

Dr Whiteford and Mr Stevenson have now written to the UK Government’s Sajid Javid, the responsible minister, asking him to publish greater detail about the offer and clarify if the UK Government has sought advice on whether the funding would breach state aid rules.

Eilidh Whiteford said:

“It’s of paramount importance that Fraserburgh be in no way disadvantaged in this process. The reported offer of £1.34 million is lacking in detail and in the context of what we know about state aid rules, would appear highly dubious.”

“In the interests of transparency, I hope the Minister will disclose to me and to the wider public, exactly what this deal would entail. Meantime, I remain actively involved with the Scottish Government and its partners in making the most compelling case for the company to retain the skilled staff at Fraserburgh.”

Stewart Stevenson added:

“The Scottish Government is doing everything in its power to keep jobs in Fraserburgh. I, and my SNP colleagues, will continue to fight for these jobs, and we will do everything in our power to ensure that Fraserburgh is best placed to take Young’s forward as a successful business.”

“It is astonishing that, to date, I have yet to be contacted by any UK Government representative or official to offer assistance in maintaining employment in Fraserburgh. Instead, their focus appears to have been on providing an incentive for a business to move jobs out of Scotland and into England. The Minister has some serious questions to answer and I await his response with interest.”