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Press and Journal
7 days ago
- Politics
- Press and Journal
I'm not interested in mulling over north-east Reform defections, Kemi Badenoch says
UK Tory chief Kemi Badenoch warned north-east councillors who have switched to Reform are not true conservatives and she is 'not interested' in worrying about Nigel Farage's party. The Conservative chief took aim at the seven ex-Tory defectors across Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen in an exclusive interview with The Press and Journal. 'There are some people who just want to be politicians, and are doing it for themselves,' she said. 'I think we need to start asking why are we talking about people who clearly don't care about values and policies, but just care about winning?' Ms Badenoch spoke to the P&J after her speech to Tory members at the party's conference in Edinburgh on Friday. 'We can't have a party of people who believe different things,' she told us. 'We need to be very clear about who we are and what we stand for.' The Tory leader told journalists she was happy with Mr Farage picking off councillors who want to defect. 'If Nigel Farage is taking out of the Conservative Party people who are not conservatives, then I'm quite fine with that,' she said. Earlier this week Russell Findlay exclusively told the P&J that Reform defectors were 'opportunistic' and would come to regret their decision. Ms Badenoch told the P&J: 'Many of the people who go in there don't like what they see, and come out of it, and that's a warning for them. 'It's not my warning – it's just clearly what's going on.' The Tory leader referenced former Reform MP Rupert Lowe, who has since quit the party and heavily criticised leader Mr Farage. She added: 'I'm not really that interested in talking about Reform. 'I know it might be an interesting media story, I'm really worried about what's happening to all of those people out there losing their jobs.' Six Aberdeenshire Tories have joined Reform, while Aberdeen councillor Duncan Massey switched allegiance last week during Mr Farage's visit to the city. The most recent defector, Huntly councillor Lauren Knight, jumped ship on Thursday. Ms Badenoch's speech to Tory members was heavily focused on the north-east as she called for Labour to scrap the oil and gas windfall tax. The levy was originally introduced by the Conservatives in 2022, when Rishi Sunak was chancellor. But Ms Badenoch said she was looking to the future. 'I said I disagreed with it, but I wasn't the prime minister,' she told the P&J. 'I can't go back into the past and be the prime minister. 'I can only tell people what I can do under new leadership. 'The north-east of Scotland is an area that is suffering particularly right now. 'That's why we're talking about it.'
Press and Journal
13-06-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch claims Labour 'killing industry' in north-east focused speech
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch will put the future of oil and gas at the heart of her speech to party conference on Friday, accusing Labour of 'killing' the industry. The clear north-east pitch will be made one day after Labour Energy Secretary Ed Miliband visited an major energy scheme at St Fergus in Aberdeenshire. He said the Labour government is 'putting its money where its mouth is' with £200 million for the Acorn carbon-capture project which the sector says will support 15,000 jobs at its peak. But on Friday, Ms Badenoch – the opposition leader – will demand the Labour government drop a energy windfall tax, and scrap a ban on new oil and gas licences. Her own Tory party introduced the Energy Profits Levy in May 2022 in response to soaring profits and chose to extend it in March 2024. The UK Labour government has since raised and extended it again until 2030. In Edinburgh, she will tell Scottish Conservatives Labour is killing industry. She will add: 'Today, I say enough. Labour must remove the energy profits levy. Labour must speed up the process of replacing it with a system that rewards success and incentivises investment because we shouldn't have this energy profits levy at all. 'We must scrap the ban on new licences. 'We must overturn the ban on supporting oil and gas technology exports. 'And we must champion our own industry.' The Conservative Party leader told the P&J last year it had been a 'mistake' for her party to extend the tax while in government. Robert Palmer, deputy director of Uplift, who want to urgently phase out oil and gas, claimed the former Tory government 'sat on their hands and did nothing to ensure the shift to renewables benefited Scotland's energy workers'. He added: 'New licensing has done nothing to boost our energy supply and nothing to sustain the workforce.' The clear north-east focus comes at a tough time for the party, which is losing multiple local councillors across Aberdeenshire to Nigel Farage's Reform party. On Thursday morning, the P&J reported that a sixth councillor had defected. Scottish Labour Deputy Leader Jackie Baillie said: 'The Tories are on the side of oil and gas giants rather than working Scots, but Scottish Labour will work with the UK Government and use devolved powers to deliver a just transition for the industry.' The UK Government was approached for comment.
Press and Journal
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Press and Journal
Exclusive: Huntly councillor becomes SIXTH Aberdeenshire Tory to join Reform
A Huntly councillor has become the SIXTH Tory in Aberdeenshire to join Reform as momentum continues to build for Nigel Farage's party. Lauren Knight became the latest Conservative in the north-east to make the switch just hours after leader Russell Findlay branded defectors 'opportunists'. Ms Knight said she believes the Conservative Party has 'left her' and she 'feels let down by so many broken promises'. 'I am honoured to have joined Reform UK', she exclusively told The Press and Journal. Ms Knight, who represents the Huntly, Strathbogie and Howe of Alford ward, previously battled Aberdeenshire Council over a deferral for her premature son starting school. Her son, Henry, was born three months early and spent five months fighting to survive in the neonatal unit while he was unable to breathe by himself. Ms Knight, who lives in Forgue, said: 'As the mother of a child with additional support needs, I have experienced firsthand the challenges families face when navigating a system that too often overlooks the most vulnerable.' Speaking to the P&J, the Aberdeenshire mum said local cuts to additional support needs services passed by the ruling Tory-led administration influenced her defection. Ms Knight felt she was unable to speak out against her own party on the topic. 'It wasn't an environment where you could have a voice,' she said. Ms Knight said she was 'sad' to leave behind some Tory colleagues, but said many of her allies were the councillors who had already left the party. She told the P&J: ' I realised of the people I aligned with and was friends with have all decided to move to Reform.' Her defection to Reform represents another blow for the Tories in a region where they are losing multiple councillors. Former Aberdeenshire council chief Mark Findlater and Mearns councillor Laurie Carnie became the first to join Reform in Scotland last year. Ellon councillor John Crawley and Dominic Lonchay, who represents East Garioch, later followed them over to Mr Farage's party. Robbie Withey, another councillor in Ms Knight's Huntly ward, continues to sit as an independent but has joined Reform. John Cox, a former SNP councillor, has also signed up to Reform UK – but also still sits as an independent. And Aberdeen councillor Duncan Massey announced his defection from the Tories last week when Mr Farage visited the city. The defection comes one day after Scottish Tory chief Mr Findlay exclusively told the P&J he 'despairs' at councillors leaving his party for Reform and believes they will later regret it. 'Some of them you know personally and you know their politics – you're left to conclude they're doing so because it's complete opportunism,' he said on our weekly politics podcast, The Stooshie. He added: 'A lot of our members are very angry at those who defect. 'Those who defect are only in the post they're in because of the fact they were wearing a Tory blue rosette. 'I just feel disappointed. I suspect what we'll see is some regret.' Reform councillor Thomas Kerr welcomed Ms Knight to the party. 'Lauren Knight brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to Reform UK,' he said. A Scottish Tory spokesperson said: 'Under Russell Findlay, we're reconnecting with common sense conservative values of enterprise, self-reliance, fiscal responsibility and the rule of law. 'Every poll shows that Reform will only help the SNP. 'As we saw in last year's general election, they handed several seats to the SNP which would have otherwise gone to a pro-UK party. 'Reform are likely to stand pro-independence candidates in the 2026 election and Nigel Farage has even said he's not worried about the SNP getting another five years in power.'
Press and Journal
11-06-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
Tories propose emergency law to speed up A9 dualling
Private investment and quicker environmental reviews can help fast-track A9 dualling between Inverness and Perth by up to four years, according to a Tory blueprint backed by an SNP veteran. Russell Findlay's party is plotting an emergency law to ensure upgrades to widen the busy route are finished in the next Scottish Parliament's lifetime – up to May 2031. 'Enough's enough,' he said, speaking exclusively on The Stooshie, the weekly political podcast from the P&J. 'People who use that road realise that the time for excuses is long gone.' The idea has already won the backing of Fergus Ewing, the MSP for Inverness and Nairn and vocal critic of SNP progress on the promised upgrade. 'I welcome this proposal,' Mr Ewing told the Press and Journal. 'The SNP government has plainly broken pledges, and lost trust.' The Conservatives want a portion of the Scottish Government's transport budget to be ringfenced for the dualling scheme to ensure work does not stall. Mr Findlay believes the private sector should be brought in to attract more funding for the road. This would involve using 'infrastructure investment partnerships' with individual businesses, aiming to reduce costs when finding contractors for sections of the project. 'I think that would do a lot to focus the minds of hard-headed investors to get the job done,' he said. The Tories also say environmental impact assessments carried out on each section of the A9 should be 'expedited'. 'We have to respect the impact on the environment of any infrastructure project, but these can take over a year,' Mr Findlay told The Stooshie. The SNP originally promised to complete A9 dualling by this year, but admitted in 2023 that was no longer. A new timetable to finish the project a full decade from now is in place. Laura Hansler, an A9 campaigner from Kincraig, backed the Tory proposals in principle. 'The suggestions are fantastic,' she said. But she warned 'further clarity' is needed over how exactly the emergency law would prevent further delays. The Scottish Greens are opposed. 'Environmental impact assessments are an important legal requirement,' said Mark Ruskell, a party MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife. A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: 'We are fully committed to dualling the A9 and have prioritised funding for this programme within our annual budgets. 'We are also actively considering whether there is any way that we can fast-track work, including opportunities for undertaking 'advance works' ahead of main construction contracts.' Tory leader Mr Findlay spoke to The Stooshie ahead of his party's conference in Edinburgh this weekend. On the latest episode he also told us: You can listen to Mr Findlay's full interview here.
Press and Journal
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Press and Journal
David Knight: Being fined at the faffing-about early stages of Aberdeen bus gates has had me simmering every day for three years
Whenever I approach a hooded and disabled roadside speed camera – with 'not in use' on it – I slow down instinctively. There are a few of them dotted around Aberdeen. Like Daleks from Dr Who; temporarily rendered harmless, but still menacing. I suppose it's some kind of reverse psychology going on: our brains are still wired to be wary of speed traps. You'd think I'd speed up rather than decelerate. Or maybe I don't really believe the 'not in use' signs and suspect it's some kind of trick. My journalistic mind always suspects that the authorities are up to something. My standard starting point is that they are trying to hide important things from the public and so a permanent state of scepticism is healthy. To challenge things all the time. After all, there is a lot to process in Aberdeen right now, especially with bus-gate and LEZ (Low Emission Zone) fines popping through letter boxes at an alarming rate. The Post Office's immediate future as a viable going concern must surely be guaranteed thanks to this lucrative line of mail-delivery business. I gazed at a P&J colour-coded graphic shape depicting a myriad of current traffic restrictions around Aberdeen, including bus gates and LEZs. Stretching like a green medieval gauntlet around all the city centre's major streets – choking the life out of them, some might say. The first salvos in a legal challenge by local businesses against the profit-draining gates are expected in the Court of Session soon. My beef with council bus gates always has been whether correct processes – democratic and procedural – were followed. That should interest all citizens. Meanwhile, the first wave of data on Aberdeen LEZs is being digested on the first anniversary of their introduction. A hefty £4.5million in LEZ fines dominates the debate, but important health information about reductions in potentially lethal emissions must also be evaluated. My health was not helped by pondering over not one, but four fines which arrived at my door. Two were imposed in Aberdeen, but are now a bit old. I don't bear grudges, but I have been simmering about them every day for three years. The other two were just a matter of weeks ago. Not in Aberdeen, but in a galaxy far, far away in England. Parking fines administered while I was on a mercy mission to visit a sick elderly relative. Twice for the same offence, in effect: once the night before and again in a dawn swoop by a patrol the next day before I awoke. They had me bang to rights, but surely not twice overnight? With my legal magnifying glass to hand I spotted one ticket had recorded me mistakenly as being at another car park half a mile away. It was enough: a legal technicality, but my challenge in writing was upheld and one fine was quashed on appeal. Hardly the case of the century, but again shows that challenging things is healthy – and reading small print is always essential. This recent saga made me think back to that old pair of fines from years before. I managed to incur two Aberdeen bus-gate fines in the same spot within days of each other; that took a serious level of ineptitude on my part, you might think. But shell-shocked and bewildered, I returned to the scene of my 'crime' to walk slowly through the bus-gate zone instead to discover where I went wrong. I still couldn't make sense of it due to shambolic signage which drew much criticism. I thought of this again after the lawyer leading the legal battle reckoned bus-gate fines would have to be refunded to motorists if he won in court. However, he was only talking about fines dating back to when the 'experimental' status of the current bus-gate layout was made permanent earlier this year. But what about me and many others? I fell foul of what I describe as a 'pre-experiment' experimental stage of this troubled project when a pilot bus-gate was trialled temporarily at one end of Union Street. It was the embryonic forerunner of what you see today, but also triggered a furore of protest and many fines. I hate to take issue with the legal expert, but surely as these people were punished during an earlier chaotic faffing-about stage of bus gates – before they became legally binding – they actually have a stronger argument for recompense? Paying a fine is hardly a matter of life or death, you might say. But it might be if you were breathing in exhaust emissions in what are now LEZs. Early evidence shows some reductions. Good news, but we must bear in mind that the smallish Aberdeen LEZs seem harsher and more intense than elsewhere in Scotland. So it begs a challenging question: have they got the balance right? David Knight is the long-serving former deputy editor of The Press and Journal
