MP Highlights Work of Local Cancer Charity

​Peterhead, Turriff and Fraserburgh benefit from support services​
​B​anff​ and Buchan MP Eilidh Whiteford has thanked staff at a local cancer charity for​ ​their hard work, following a meeting on Friday.

Lily Cowie, Eilidh Whiteford MP and Angie Christie

Dr Whiteford met with Area Co-ordinator Angie Christie at the charity's base at the Hot Spot in Peterhead, to discuss CLAN's work locally and to meet with volunteers.

As well as maintaining comfortable hotel-style accommodation in Aberdeen for cancer patients who live a long distance from ARI and their families, the charity offers drop-in support services in Peterhead on Wednesdays and Fridays, 10am-4pm, from its base in the town's Kirk Street. These include counselling, complementary therapies and advice on dealing with cancer and the effects of its treatment. CLAN also runs services in Turriff (Fridays, 10am-4pm), and Fraserburgh (Mondays, 10am-4pm).

Area Co-ordinator Angie Christie said:

​​"We're developing the service locally, and we welcome any help we can get from volunteers or fundraisers."

Speaking afterwards, Dr Whiteford said:

​​"It was great meeting with Angie and the staff at CLAN to find out what the charity does locally. The range of services on offer is huge, and represents an extremely valuable local resource for those living with cancer."

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Peterhead Fire - Dr Eilidh Whiteford MP Comments

Commenting on the fire at the North Bay Pelagic premises in Peterhead this weekend, SNP MP Dr Eilidh Whiteford said :

"This was a major blaze – and crews from Scottish Fire and Rescue brought it under control in the early hours of this morning. Once again they are owed a huge debt of gratitude for their professionalism and bravery. Thankfully, Police Scotland reported no casualties – but there has been considerable disruption to the town.

"This will be a very uncertain time for the workforce. Once the extent of the damage is known – and investigators will start that process - we will be in a better position to assess what kind of assistance might be required."

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Whiteford Slams North East Labour MPs for Backing Tory Cuts

Two North-east Labour MPs vote with Conservatives for further austerity
It has been revealed 28 Scottish Labour MPs voted with the UK Government last night for £75 billion of cuts and tax rises.

Those voting with the Conservative Government for further austerity included two North-east Labour MPs, Anne Begg and Frank Doran.

Commenting, MP for Banff & Buchan and SNP Westminster Spokesperson for Work & Pensions, Eilidh Whiteford, said:

“Labour have shown their true colours in siding with the Tories, and it shows even more clearly that only by voting SNP can Westminster's obsession with imposing austerity cuts be changed.

“The Conservatives are committed to continued austerity which will hit Scottish public services- and they have now been backed by Scottish Labour.

“The consequences of austerity are all too plain to see in my own constituency and across the North-east, so it is particularly disappointing to see two Labour MSPs for the North-east side with the Conservatives. It will be ordinary, hard-working people in their constituencies who will continue to suffer and those people should not be paying the price for the mess that the Tories and Labour got us into in the first place.

“The SNP in government has a strong record on protecting our public services and supporting public sector workers – including the recent additional funding announced for NHS Grampian. But the impact of Westminster’s austerity agenda is continuing to be felt – and with more cuts being passed down the line , the strain on our vital public services will only increase.”

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Parliamentarians Pay Tribute to Last Provost of Foggie

Dr Eilidh Whiteford, MP for Banff & Buchan, and MSP Stewart Stevenson have paid tribute to former Aberchirder provost Robert Bremner, who passed away at the age of 95.

Mr Bremner, known affectionately as ‘Bingo’, was the last provost for the Burgh of Aberchirder in the mid-1970s. His community involvement spanned countless groups, with a notable contribution as President of Deveronvale Football Club.

Eilidh Whiteford commented:

“I was very sad to hear of Bingo’s passing. He was involved in so many community groups that different people will remember him for different things and that is a testament to his community spirit.”

“For my own part, I will never forget some of the first election results announcements that I attended. Having won a mandate from the people, Bingo would sign-off on stage by declaring ‘Foggieloan forever!’ He was a true character and will be greatly missed in his community.”

Banffshire & Buchan Coast MSP Stewart Stevenson added:

“Bingo was very active in community matters and I last saw him sitting on the dais at the Aberchirder 250th Anniversary celebrations in The Square taking in everything that was going on.

“It’s a mark of the man that he sponsored the production of a lapel badge with the Burgh arms on it to be given to every school pupil in the town. It’s the end of an era for Foggie and my condolences go to his family at this time.”

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