The Scotsman

SNP ‘doesn’t understand life in the Highlands and Islands’

- Rachel Amery Political Correspond­ent

Scotland’s newest MSP says the SNP doesn’t understand the “entire way of life” in the Highlands and Islands.

Tim Eagle is due to be officially sworn in as a Scottish Conservati­ve MSP today following the resignatio­n of Donald Cameron.

The former Moray councillor said is eager to bein his new job in Holyrood, and has vowed to “hold Humza Yousaf ’s feet to the fire” on a series of rural issues, including the ongoing ferries fiasco and the dualling of the A9 and A96.

Mr Eagle told The Scotsman: “I’m really excited and honoured to be given the chance to serve the Highlands and Islands at Holyrood. As a former councillor and party group leader, but also as someone who works the land, I know the north of Scotland very well.

“I understand the challenges faced by residents, but also the opportunit­ies which are in reach. The Snp-green Government’s obsession with the Central Belt has been to the detriment of everyone.

“It’s not just the rural economy they don’t understand, it’s an entire way of life. Scotland deserves a government that puts the prosperity of its citizens first rather than endlessly obsessing over independen­ce.

“Whether it’s withheld farm funding, missing ferries, the calamity of the A9 and A96, or the centralisa­tion of health services, I join a Scottish Conservati­ve team at Holyrood which will continue to hold Humza Yousaf ’s feet to the fire for all these failures.”

Mr Eagle lives in Forres with his sons and wife and is the former leader of Moray Council. He had represente­d Buckie at Moray Council from 2017 until the 2022 local elections, where he stepped down due to the negative impact social media was having on his family life.

Mr Eagle had attempted a comeback by standing unsuccessf­ully in the 2022 Buckie byelection, where he lost out to the SNP.

His elevations comes after Mr Cameron resigned as an MSP for the Highlands and Islands to take up a position in the House of Lords.

Mr Cameron, who had served as an MSP since 2016, has already been officially conferred a life peerage by King Charles and will become a parliament­ary undersecre­tary of state in the Scotland Office.

Mr Eagle takes up this position despite not having won a by-election. This is because of a peculiar Holyrood process – in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, Mr Eagle was on the Highlands and Islands regional list vote.

In the regional ballot, people vote for a party rather than an individual candidate. Using proportion­al representa­tion, the parties are then allocated a number of seats depending on how many votes they receive, once the number of constituen­cy seats already won in that region is taken into account.

In 2021 the Conservati­ves won four seats, which were taken by the first four people on the list – Mr Cameron, party leader Douglas Ross, Edward Mountain and Jamie Halcro Johnston. Mr Eagle was fifth. However, following the resignatio­n of Mr Cameron, as the next person on the regional list from 2021, the seat was Mr Eagle’s for the taking.

 ?? ?? Scotland’s newest MSP is a farmer and says the ruling Snp-green government have let rural people down in many areas, including the dualling of the A9
Scotland’s newest MSP is a farmer and says the ruling Snp-green government have let rural people down in many areas, including the dualling of the A9
 ?? ?? Tim Eagle will take his seat at Holyrood today
Tim Eagle will take his seat at Holyrood today

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