Alan Reid to stand in 2016 elections
FORMER MP Alan Reid has been selected by the Scottish Liberal Democrats to fight the Argyll and Bute seat at next year’s Scottish Parliamentary elections.
Mr Reid, who previously served as Argyll and Bute’s MP for 14 years, was one of many long-standing politicians to be swept away in May by the tsunami of support for the SNP, when he was succeeded by Brendan O’Hara.
Mr Reid said: ‘I am very pleased that the local Liberal Democrats have selected me to contest next May’s Holyrood election. Following on from the increase in our vote and clear second place at last May’s election, the Liberal Democrats are best placed to challenge the SNP and bring about the change Argyll and Bute so badly needs.
‘The SNP have been in power far too long. Our health service is being starved of funds and failing to meet its targets. Our police force is in crisis. College places have been slashed. The SNP cuts to the council budget will see the loss of many jobs and services. The roll out of superfast broadband is painfully slow.
‘Argyll and Bute needs an experienced voice like myself to stand up in Holyrood and de- mand a better deal for this constituency. I will be campaigning on all these issues to bring about the change we desperately need.’
At the party’s Scottish conference in Dunfermline on Saturday, Scottish Lib Dem leader, Willie Rennie MSP, congratulated Mr Reid on his selection, saying: ‘Alan Reid was an outstanding MP for Argyll and Bute. The increase in his vote at the last election showed his popularity in the constituency. When I am in Argyll and Bute I always hear on the doorstep that he was a highly-rated local MP.
‘I am delighted that Alan has been selected to stand again and he will be a great asset to the Scottish Parliament and a champion for his constituents.’