WHITEFORD & HUDGHTON TO VISIT KEENAN RECYCLING

SNP Westminster candidate for Banff & Buchan Eilidh Whiteford and SNP Euro-MP Ian Hudghton will visit local firm Keenan Recycling Limited, Hillhead of Auchreddie, New Deer, on Monday 29 June at 4.00pm.

Keenan Recycling Limited specialises in the manufacture of soil improvers by recycling organic materials through composting. Operations have been designed to provide eco-friendly and cost effective solutions to the challenges of organics recycling.

The company’s new food waste recycling system was officially launched in April by Minister for Transport, Infrastructure & Climate Change Stewart Stevenson.

Director Grant Keenan will be on hand to brief Ian and Eilidh on the business and its contribution towards a greener Scotland and will also provide a tour of the facility.

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WHITEFORD HIGHLIGHTS POSITIVE WELCOME FOR SNP AGRICULTURE SUPPORT PACKAGE

SNP Westminster candidate for Banff & Buchan Eilidh Whiteford today (Friday) welcomed the positive response that the announcement of the Scottish Government’s Agriculture Support Package has received from NFU Scotland, whose president Jim McLaren hailed the new measures as “a smart and strategic package”.

Commenting, Eilidh Whiteford said:

“The package that Richard Lochhead has announced contains some valuable measures to protect and support farming interests including the retention of the Scottish Beef Calf scheme, a 19% increase in LFASS payments for fragile and very fragile areas and no further top-slicing of the Single Farm Payment.

“All of these measures were the subject of lobbying by both the NFUS and individual farmers and the Scottish Government has clearly listened and responded to those representations.

“Agriculture is a vital industry for Banff & Buchan and has already seen more than its fair share of hard times. Indeed, it could be said that farmers were better prepared for the economic downturn than most through learning the hard way how to survive.

“The measures announced by the Cabinet Secretary will be welcomed by the industry as a whole as well as by NFUS and will be recognised as a real and ongoing commitment to the industry.”

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SALMOND AND WHITEFORD HELP POPULAR NEW PITSLIGO BUSINESS CELEBRATE 10 YEARS

Local MP Alex Salmond and SNP Westminster candidate for Banff & Buchan, Eilidh Whiteford called into the Gold ‘n’ Crispy fish and chip shop and restaurant in New Pitsligo to celebrate help celebrate their 10th anniversary of trading at the weekend.

The popular local business, run by Lorraine Miller and Eddie Bruce, held a fun day on Saturday with children’s entertainment, face painting and a prize draw.

Speaking in New Pitsligo Alex Salmond said:

“I would like to wish Lorraine and Eddie and the staff all the very best on their tenth anniversary in business.

“The Gold’n’Crispy has served New Pitsligo and the surrounding area for the last 10 years with fantastic food and service. Their enthusiasm and dedication is reflected in the success of the business.

“Here’s to another 10 years and more for the Gold’n’Crispy!”

SNP Westminster candidate for Banff & Buchan, Eilidh Whiteford added:

“It was clear from the steady flow of people taking part in the various activities at the fun day that the Gold’n’Crispy is held in very high regard by everyone locally.

“The owners have obviously gone to great lengths to create a successful and sustainable business, promoting the best of local produce and fish, whilst providing a warm welcome to everyone who comes to the Gold’n’Crispy.

“I would like to offer my congratulations to the Gold’n’Crispy and I look forward to popping in again very soon.”

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WHITEFORD HAILS 'SPECTACULAR' LOCAL EURO RESULTS FOR SNP AS TORIES LOSE SEAT

SNP Westminster candidate for Banff & Buchan Eilidh Whiteford has hailed the local results in last week's European Elections as spectacular for the SNP.

Across Aberdeenshire, the SNP vote was up around 10% on the last Euro Elections in 2004 taking the total SNP vote to a massive 35.5%. Nationally, in a bad night for the Conservatives, they saw their representation halved when they lost one of their Scottish seats in the European Parliament.

Commenting, Eilidh Whiteford said:

"These are truly spectacular results for the SNP. The hard work of our supporters has paid off and, nationally, this is the first time the SNP has won in a UK-wide election and continues our good results from winning the Scottish Parliament elections in 2007.

"Going around the Polling Stations on Thursday many people said to me that the SNP was the only party they had heard from or seen taking its message to the doors during this campaign.

“The Conservatives took a beating across Scotland and lost one of their MEPs when the final results were announced. However, what must be even more galling for them is that even under the current circumstances, the Labour Party still managed to beat them into third place. It speaks volumes for the state of the Tory Party in Scotland that Gordon Brown can still beat them.

"I would like to thank all those who took the time last week to come out and vote SNP for a party which fought a positive campaign about how we as a nation have got what it takes to have our own voice at the top table in Europe."

Results declared last night at the Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre for the Aberdeenshire Council area – comprising the Banff & Buchan, Gordon and West Aberdeenshire constituencies - were:

SNP 18,698 35.5%
Con 12,125 23.0%
Lib Dem 7,657 14.6%
Lab 3,767 7.0%
UKIP 3,252 6.0%
Green 3,190 6.0%

Turnout was 29.11%.

Final results for the allocation of seats across Scotland – which sends 6 representatives in total to the European Parliament – are expected at lunchtime today.

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