Ross Thomson who was the Conservative candidate in the Dyce, Bucksburn and Danestone by-election says:

“I want to send a huge and heartfelt thank you to those who supported and voted for me on May 19th. I am very pleased with the Conservative result. We managed to increase our share of the vote in a ward where we do not have an existing councillor and where the turnout for the by-election was low. I am proud that in those circumstances we bucked the trend and the expected by winning over more people and increasing our vote.”

“The Lib Dems, however, have had the message sent to them in the Scottish Parliament election repeated to them even louder. The Lib Dems were defending this council seat and they even have a second councillor in the ward yet their share of the vote fell drastically by a whopping 14.98%, a very real and very clear vote of no confidence in the Lib Dems.”

“I congratulate Neil MacGregor in his election as councillor for Dyce, Bucksburn and Danestone. To achieve over 50% of the vote on the first round is a great achievement. The campaign was very friendly and I wish Neil all the best in his new role. The message from the campaign could not be clearer. The council has to make infrastructure improvements its number one priority to get Aberdeen moving again. The council must get going with sorting out the Haudagain roundabout and building the Aberdeen by-pass. Local people are fed up and tired with the lack of progress that has been made. The council’s track record is quite simply not good enough and I hope Neil will take these concerns to the council chamber and put his efforts into getting Aberdeen moving again.”

“I thoroughly enjoyed the campaign and I thank local people for their warm welcome on the doorsteps. This result is a tremendous step forward  for the Conservastives gaining a councillor in Dyce, Bucksburn and Danestone next year … watch this space.”

Dear local residents,

Thursday 19th is your opportunity to make a difference to our local communities by electing a new local councillor. My message to you is that I care about local people, I care about local issues, I have the passion and the drive to make change happen and to get our beleaguered city back on it’s feet again. I have a vision for a more dynamic and prosperous Aberdeen.

We need to address the funding formula for Aberdeen City Council. Aberdeen contributes £800m a month to the Scottish economy yet we are underfunded by £1,600 per person. Yet again we have lost out to central belt bias so if elected I will fight tooth and nail for a better funding deal for Aberdeen.

Aberdeen’s infrastructure desperately needs to be pulled firmly into the 21st century. I will fight tirelessly for the creation of the Aberdeen by-pass, for a fix to the Haudagain roundabout, for our pothole riddled roads to be sorted, for better bus and train frequency and for greater capacity on the East Coast Mainline. I will also campaign for the UK Government’s programme for high speed rail to be extended not only to Scotland but to Aberdeen. Better connectivity and infrastructure is key to Aberdeen’s future prosperity, it will create a better business environment, boost enterprise, end motorist misery, protect jobs and create new ones.

Ron Clark’s shoes are to big to fill, he did a power of good. I want to create my own name as someone who is hard working and dedicated to local people. I will work tirelessly to make Dyce, Bucksburn and Danestone an even better place to live. I will always put local people and local issues first. I will park party politics aside to work with people to achieve the best result for our local communities, for what is in the interests of local people. I will work hard on your behalf, I will stick to my word and get things done and I will deliver my vision of a better and more dynamic Aberdeen.

If I cannot count on your first preference on Thursday please consider giving me your second or third preference.

All the very best,

Ross Thomson
Scottish Conservative candidate for Dyce, Bucksburn and Danestone

Ross Thomson, who is standing to be the next local councillor for Dyce, Bucksburn and Danestone, has made clear what his priorities will be if elected to serve local residents on Thursday 19th.

Ross says:

“My priorities are your priorities and I am making them clear for you to judge me by. my priorities are:

1) To get Aberdeen moving again. We need to pull our roads and infrastructure firmly into the 21st century. I will fight tirelessly for the development of the Aberdeen by-pass, for a fix to the nightmare Haudagain roundabout, for our pothole riddled roads to be sorted and for a greater capacity on the East Coast mainline.

2) To support our local economy and protect jobs. I want Aberdeen to be a more dynamic and prosperous place. I will promote Aberdeen as the best place to do business.

3) To make Dyce, Bucksburn and Danestone an even greener place to live. I will fight against fly tipping and strive to keep our local communities green and clean. I will throw my energy into helping the invaluable Dyce in Bloom gain the support and funding to continue it’s work.

4) To protect our local communities from crime and anti-social behaviour. I have already written to the council and the Chief Constable of Grampian police about the Traveller encampments on Riverview Drive.

5) To always put local people and local issues first. I will always do my utmost to serve the interests of local people. I will strive to help local people with their concerns. I have already taken up many issues such as the noise from the airport, the flight path of helicopters, littering, travellers, bus services such as the no. 5 line and I have been involved in community improvement days such as improving the woods behind lidls.

These are my priorities and I will fight to deliver them if given the opportunity to do so on Thursday.”

Expressing his delight with the result in Aberdeen Donside Ross say’s:

“I am very pleased and proud of our result in Aberdeen Donside. In a constituency where the Conservatives don’t even have a councillor we managed to charge into 3rd place and push the Lib Dems into a humiliating 4th place. We actually achieved a far better result than what was predicted for us in Donside. My campaign message about the desperate need to pull Aberdeen’s infrastructure firmly into the 21st century resonated with voters and Annabel Goldie’s straight talking and honest approach through out the campaign really made a difference.”

“It was the SNP’s night but the Scottish Conservatives will still be pivotal in the next Parliament. The voters in Scotland have decided that they want Annabel to be the break on the excesses of Alex Salmond. I send a genuine and heartfelt thank you to all those who voted for and supported me in this election. I also want to congratulate Brian Adam on what was a great result for him and wish him well in his next five years as the constituency MSP for Aberdeen Donside.”

“I am delighted with this result and it is a terrific springboard for the Dyce, Bucksburn and Danestone by-election on May 19th.”

Result:

Brian Adam (SNP) 14, 790

Barney Crockett (Labour) 7, 615

Ross Thomson (Conservative) 2, 166

Millie McLeod (Lib Dem) 1, 606

David Henderson (Independent) 371

Christopher Willett (National Front) 213

Today Ross Thomson, Scottish Conservative candidate for Aberdeen Donside, welcomed Annabel Goldie, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, to Aberdeen. Ross and Annabel alongside a group of supporters toured Aberdeen’s city centre speaking to local people about the issues that matter most to them.

Ross says:

“I was delighted that Annabel visited Aberdeen today to throw her support firmy behind my Scottish Parliament election campaign. Annabel, unlike other leaders, recognises the vital importance of Aberdeen to Scotland’s economy. Having Annabel here in Aberdeen today is a major boost to my campaign as she is very well liked by the Scottish public for her no nonsesnse straight forward style. We spoke to many local voters today who were glad to see Annabel and who took the opportunity to share their concerns with us.”

“It’s clear that people in Aberdeen want change. They are desperate for the AWPR to be built and Annabel reaffirmed her committment to its development and I am delighted that our committment to the construction of the AWPR is in our manifesto. Local people also expressed their concern about the mess that the SNP/Lib Dem administration have made in Aberdeen. Annabel has also pledged to review the funding formula for Aberdeen city council which currently leaves us £1600 per head underfunded.”

“We also took the time to visit some local businesses who have benefited greatly from the cut in business rates achieved by Annabel and her Scottish Conservative MSPs at Holyrood.  Thanks to Annabel’s determination business rates have been slashed. As the SNP dithered and delayed on the issue Annabel made an immediate cut in business rates a make or break condition of supporting the Scottish Government’s budget. A cut in business rates is a pledge we made and one of many we delivered on. In this election judge us on our record and if you want more common sense policies in Aberdeen then use this election to elect more Scottish Conservative MSPs.”

Annabel Goldie says:

“Scottish politics needs somebody who will stand up to the excesses of Alex Salmond and Iain Gray and stand against their nationalism and socialism. That somebody is me. I am proved over the last four years that the SNP can be brought to heel by the Scottish Conservatives. When he needed it, I gave Alex Salmond a kick up his political posterior.”

“I will carry on telling it like it is, standing up for common sense and taking every decision based on one simple premise: what is in the best interests of Scotland? I will fight each and every day to deliver more common sense for Scotland at Holyrood. Every voter, in Aberdeen and in the North East of Scotland has two votes for that Conservative common sense. A constituency vote to decide their local MSP and a crucial regional vote on the peach ballot paper to decide who wields the balance of power and keeps Alex Salmond or Iain Gray in check.”

“So I make this direct appeal to every voter. If you like what I say and if you like how I say it; if you like what I have delivered and if you want more of the same, then use that peach vote for me, Annabel Goldie and the Scottish Conservatives on Thursday 5th May.”

Ross Thomson has been chosen by local Conservatives as their candidate in the Dyce, Bucksburn and Danestone by-election which is scheduled to take place on May 19th.

The Dyce, Bucksburn and Danestone ward is within the Scottish Parliamentary constituency of Aberdeen Donside which Ross is contesting for the Scottish Conservatives in this year’s election.

Ross says:

“I am truly delighted to have been selected to fight on behalf of local people as the Scottish Conservative candidate in the upcoming by-election. I have a very clear message which I will be taking to the doorsteps of local residents. That message is that I have a vision for a better and more dynamic Aberdeen.”

“To achieve a better and more prosperous Aberdeen we need to address the city council funding formula. Aberdeen is 16% underfunded, which is £1600 per person. I will fight tooth and nail for a better funding deal. I will also work to create an environment which encourages businesses in Aberdeen to work and grow. This will boost our local economy and support local jobs. Connectivity is vitally important which is why improving Aberdeen’s infrastructure is at the top of my agenda. The nightmare Haudagain roundabout must be sorted, our roads are riddled with potholes, transport links are poor and we desperately need the AWPR. Fixing these problems is my priority and I will be a powerful champion for the residents of Dyce, Bucksburn and Danestone.”

“Our city could be doing so much better. SNP/Lib Dem financial mismanagement and incompetence has wrecked Aberdeen’s reputation, tarnished pride in our city and led to unnecessary misery for local people. They have let the people of Aberdeen down and this by-election is an opportunity to send the SNP/Lib Dem administration a very clear message ahead of next year’s council elections by electing someone who will hold them to account. I will work tirelessly for the people of Dyce, Bucksburn and Danestone and I will work on their behalf to make my vision of a better and more dynamic Aberdeen a reality.”

Ross contested the Gordon constituency for the Conservatives in last year’s General Election. The constituency includes the Dyce, Bucksburn and Danestone ward. Ross works full time within the ward and he graduated from Aberdeen University after attending Bridge of Don Academy. Ross is born and bred in the North East, he knows the ward, the issues and the people.

Figures published today show that Scotland has the highest university drop-out rate in the United Kingdom.

Ross Thomson, Scottish Conservative candidate for Aberdeen Donside, said:

“These figures are genuinely worrying for Scotland and her fine Universities, but these figures disprove the ridiculous claim that a financial contribution to higher education forces a greater drop-out rate – other parts of the UK have fees and their continuation rate is greater. No party in Scotland wants upfront tuition fees and we strongly believe that we need more bursary support for students from the poorest backgrounds, to give them greater support whilst they are studying.

“We also believe that the higher education sector will only survive and thrive if we set in place a graduate contribution, repayable once the graduate attains a certain salary and at an affordable rate. I want our Universities to be the best they can be, to stand out in the world and provide the best education for our students. Scotland’s universities will not survive at this rate which is why the Scottish Conservatives will be outlining proposals, which will include even more bursary support is available, in full next week.”

The drop-out rate at universities across the UK in 2009/10 is as follows:

UK: 7.9%
England: 7.8%
Wales: 7.4%
Scotland: 9.3%
N. Ireland: 9.0%

An initiative which allows parents to check with police if someone close to their children has a history of child sex offending, which was piloted in Tayside, has now been rolled out across all of Scotland.  

Ross Thomson, Scottish Conservative candidate for Aberdeen Donside, says:

“The Scottish Conservatives were the first party to call for this measure to be trialled back in March 2009. We pressured the Scottish Government into adopting a pilot scheme running in England, whereby parents can check with police if someone close to their children has a history of child sex offending. The Tayside pilot was a great success and we are delighted it is being rolled out across the rest of the country.

“Put simply, the measures currently in place to protect people in Scotland from predatory paedophiles and sex offenders must be far more robust. Merely placing somebody on the sex offenders register is not enough.

“Sex offences, particularly those committed against children, are abhorrent and evil. Such offences can ruin the lives of victims and traumatise their families. We must do everything possible to minimise this risk.”

Scottish Conservatives are committed to protecting Scotland’s health budget and will cut management costs by up to 30%.

This will free up more vital resources for our frontline services.

Scottish Conservative candidate for Aberdeen Donside, Ross Thomson, said:

“I wholeheartedly welcome the Scottish Conservatives commitment to the NHS budget. Our NHS is a great public service, with dedicated, hardworking, frontline staff. To guarantee our NHS does not suffer, the Scottish Conservatives have made a heartfelt pledge to protect its budget. Spending will have to be reduced in other areas as we get to grips with Labour’s debt legacy, but we will protect our NHS.

“Our NHS is an excellent service but it is not perfect.  We have to look at the areas where change is needed, for example, we should be cutting management costs.  It is clear that there is too much top tier management and too much interference with decisions taken by clinical staff in the front line of patient care. This is a sentiment very often repeated on the doorsteps of Aberdeen Donside.

“The NHS should be fully focussed on patient care and clinical priorities – instead of spending so much time, effort and resources answering to politicians and ministerial dictats.

“So the Scottish Conservative pledge to our NHS today is that we will cut top management costs by 30% over the next four years, and we will reinvest every penny of that money in enhancing frontline services.   This will help protect vital local resources here in Aberdeen. 

“It is common sense to move the balance of care from being reactive, simply responding to problems, to being more focused on preventative spending.  Tackling problems early on, whether in adults or in children, will not just deliver better health outcomes for individuals, it will save the NHS money in the long run.”