Ettrick Roxburgh & Berwickshire SNP select candidate for Scottish Parliament Election

The Scottish National Party in Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire has formally announced the selection of Paul Wheelhouse as Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for next year’s Scottish Parliament Election. Paul stood for the SNP in the recent Westminster election, where he increased the SNP vote, despite a squeeze by the Lib Dems and Tories on other parties’ support.

An economist, based in the Borders, Paul has for 18 years advised public and private sector clients on economic development and education policy. Regarding his selection, Paul said:

"It is a tremendous honour to be chosen to represent my fellow party members and I very much look forward to the campaign, during which I will focus on the serious economic and social challenges we face in the constituency, the wider South of Scotland region and in Scotland as a whole.

“This constituency has been my home for 10 years and it means the world to me. I’ll work hard to demonstrate both my own commitment to the people of the Borders and why we should continue moving the Borders forward with an SNP Scottish Government. I will also make the case for Scotland to rejoin the family of nations.

“Since the Westminster election, I’ve met many voters who feel they were deceived into supporting the Lib Dems to prevent the Tories coming to power; only to see that faith betrayed by Michael Moore and his colleagues. The Lib Dems and Tories are enforcing savage cuts to the block grant that the Scottish Government receives from the taxes Scots send to London. Worse still the Lib Dems have abandoned almost every principle their voters were once duped into thinking they stood for.

“So far, the Lib Dems have helped the Tories push through increased VAT, despite describing it as a “Tory VAT Bombshell” before the election, and rubber-stamped above inflation increases in fuel duty, renewal of Trident, cuts to Disability Living Allowance and they now back nuclear power, with some denying that they ever objected to it. These are just a few examples where they have kicked their Borders supporters in the teeth, to get their hands on a handful of Ministerial limos.

“The scale of cuts proposed is both savage and unnecessary and risks pitching Scotland back into recession. That will only cut tax receipts further and increase welfare costs. Many voters are justifiably angry and I say to them that there is only one realistic choice next May that will send a message to the “ConDem coalition” in London on their cuts to our services, while keeping a steady hand on the Scottish economic tiller; that choice is to vote for the SNP”.

Paul was selected unanimously at an earlier constituency association meeting in Jedburgh, but speaking after Paul’s selection was recently ratified by the SNP’s National Executive Committee, SNP Group Leader and Ettrick Roxburgh & Berwickshire SNP Convenor, Councillor Donald Moffat stated:

“My colleagues and I are delighted to have selected Paul to represent us once again, as he was an excellent candidate for us in the Westminster election. We believe the addition of Selkirkshire ward significantly strengthens our chances of taking the new seat, given we had 29% of constituency votes there and the top list vote of all parties, at 27%. We enter the campaign in very good spirits and on an estimated 19% on the constituency vote and 22% on the regional list, which puts us some 10% ahead of Labour.”

ENDS~~

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