Candidates are ready for election
Voters in Perth and Kinross will head to polling stations on Thursday, May 6, to elect MSPs for the region.
Registration for candidates closed on Wednesday last week.
In Perthshire North, John Swinney is hoping to retain the seat for the SNP, with Murdo Fraser once again providing the main opposition for the Conservatives.
Mr Swinney has been an MSP since 1999, first for Tayside North and then the Perthshire seat from 2011 after the constituency was re-drawn slightly.
In 2016, the Deputy First Minister won nearly 49 per cent of the vote to defeat Mr Fraser with a majority of 3336.
Launching his campaign, Mr Fraser said the people of Scotland needed “change”.
He added: “People voting in this election will be faced with a stark choice – to vote for a party whose main mission is to rebuild the nation by focusing on supporting local jobs, local businesses and the hospitality sector, protecting our local health services, including Perth Royal Infirmary, and fighting for faster, more reliable and fairly-priced broadband, or to vote for a party whose sole aim is to introduce another divisive referendum.
“The SNP has failed the people of Scotland on a range of issues including education, health, the drugs crisis and are engaged in a civil war among themselves.”
Ryan Smart will stand for the Scottish Labour Party.
He said he would focus on issues such as the loss of banks and post offices, rural poverty and a lack of public transport in rural areas.
He added: “I will fight a strong campaign for the seat and give a fresh perspective on the issues affecting those in Perthshire North.
“Coming from a working class community, I understand the many issues faced by people, from worrying about paying bills to food insecurity.
“It is time we stopped divisive politics around a referendum and focus on the recovery, which this constituency is so much in need of in the aftermath of Covid-19.”
Cllr Peter Barrett will stand for the Scottish Liberal Democrats.
Speaking previously, he said: “I want Scottish education to be the best again and to support young people whose education has been affected by Covid with more in-class support for children.
“We will also work with teachers to improve literacy and numeracy.”
The Scottish Family Party will also run in the constituency and will be represented by Don Marshall.