Post by boogieeck on Apr 11, 2020 22:26:20 GMT
One of three constituencies within Aberdeenshire Council, Banff and Buchan occupies the Northern third of the council. Abounded by Gordon to the south and Moray to the west, and the North Sea to the east and north so very easy to point to on a map. The main towns are Peterhead on the east coast, Fraserburgh, more or less on the angle, then the joint town of Banff/Macduff with two harbours towards the west. All are historic fishing ports, along with several smaller fishing villages. Turriff, south and inland of Banff is the next biggest and an agricultural market town The constituency is therefore historically defined by herring and tatties. Oil is significant but is not as dominant as in Aberdeen to the South. Like almost every other constituency in the UK, the public sector is, of course, the biggest employer. This constituency is not therefore as wealthy as Aberdeen or the rest of Aberdeenshire, but property prices are lower. Health and education outcomes, however, are inferior but still above national average
Buchan historically is the area between the rivers Ythan flowing east and the Deveron flowing north between Banff and Macduff. Banffshire is a historic county and was divided between Moray and Aberdeenshire in 1974.
The seat was created in 1983, prior to which both the predecessor seats had been SNP/Conservative marginals for a decade. Ex-MP Douglas Henderson lost a second time, by only 937 votes to Conservative Albert McQuarrie, the "Buchan Bulldog" who had won his Aberdeenshire East seat. McQuarrie would, however, lose to Alex Salmond in 1987 and it is with his name that the seat is synonymous
Salmond held the seat for five terms, including a period of double hatting in the Scottish Parliament, for three years of which he was also First Minister. He polled over 50% of the vote three of those times before standing down to be replaced by one of his former office employees, Eilidh Whiteford.
She held for two terms, 2010 and 2015, before losing to Conservative David Duguid in 2017. Duguid held comfortably (4118) in 2019. This apparent change of fortunes accompanied by no change in demographics can be wholly attributed to Brexit. While the seat is thought to have narrowly voted for Independence in 2014 (votes were counted council-wide) it assuredly voted for Brexit ( votes again counted council-wide) due to the support for this policy from the fishing industry, carried over into their communities. This is based wholly on one aspect of EU governance, the Common Fisheries Policy. While the SNP remains characterised as a West of Scotland, left of centre, urban party it will struggle to regain the seat. Any sell out on fisheries by the Tories however would gift it away
Labour and the Lib Dems come nowhere in this polarised seat.
Buchan historically is the area between the rivers Ythan flowing east and the Deveron flowing north between Banff and Macduff. Banffshire is a historic county and was divided between Moray and Aberdeenshire in 1974.
The seat was created in 1983, prior to which both the predecessor seats had been SNP/Conservative marginals for a decade. Ex-MP Douglas Henderson lost a second time, by only 937 votes to Conservative Albert McQuarrie, the "Buchan Bulldog" who had won his Aberdeenshire East seat. McQuarrie would, however, lose to Alex Salmond in 1987 and it is with his name that the seat is synonymous
Salmond held the seat for five terms, including a period of double hatting in the Scottish Parliament, for three years of which he was also First Minister. He polled over 50% of the vote three of those times before standing down to be replaced by one of his former office employees, Eilidh Whiteford.
She held for two terms, 2010 and 2015, before losing to Conservative David Duguid in 2017. Duguid held comfortably (4118) in 2019. This apparent change of fortunes accompanied by no change in demographics can be wholly attributed to Brexit. While the seat is thought to have narrowly voted for Independence in 2014 (votes were counted council-wide) it assuredly voted for Brexit ( votes again counted council-wide) due to the support for this policy from the fishing industry, carried over into their communities. This is based wholly on one aspect of EU governance, the Common Fisheries Policy. While the SNP remains characterised as a West of Scotland, left of centre, urban party it will struggle to regain the seat. Any sell out on fisheries by the Tories however would gift it away
Labour and the Lib Dems come nowhere in this polarised seat.
