Moray SNP News
SNP ANNOUNCE BUCKIE CANDIDATES FOR MAY COUNCIL ELECTION
06/04/2017
Sitting SNP Councillors for Buckie, Cllr Gordon McDonald and Cllr Sonya Warren, have been announced by the party as their candidates for Buckie in this year’s Council Elections, which will take place on 4th May.
Launching their campaign for re-election Cllrs McDonald and Warren were joined by Moray MP Angus Robertson and Banffshire and Buchan Coast MSP Stewart Stevenson.
Councillor Gordon McDonald said:
“It is a real privilege representing Buckie on The Moray Council and I am once again seeking the support of people from in and around Buckie to continue representing them.
“Everyone knows from the local press the problems that the Council has under the current Independent/Tory Administration. The SNP are campaigning to change the direction of the Council and take the urgent decisions that are needed to sort the Council’s finances and put the vital public services it provides on a sustainable footing.
“The SNP would re-organise the current management structure to find savings and push hard for greater income generation across the Council’s departments to help support the critical services that are relied on by folk everyday. Services such as our harbours, schools and roads.
“I am asking people in the Buckie Ward to vote for me once again to continue speaking up for the area on these and all the other issues that are important to our community.
Councillor Sonya Warren said:
“The people of the Buckie area put their faith in me in the 2015 by-election in the ward and I have worked hard to repay that trust and earn the chance to continue representing Buckie.
“I have worked hard on issues on everything from investment in education to taxi licensing and many, many individual issues that constituents have raised with me.
“I help to run our family business in Buckie, our children have gone to school here and I have always believed strongly in the importance of giving back to your community and getting involved in a practical way to support community events, organisations and individuals.
“Those are the principles that I am standing for re-election on and I am asking for your votes to continue doing all that I can to represent Buckie in The Moray Council.”
Speaking in support of Gordon and Sonya, Angus Robertson MP said:
“Gordon and Sonya’s commitment to Buckie as elected councillors is really excellent. They are actively involved in a wide range of organisations and are constantly looking at innovative ways of getting support for local services and community projects. I am delighted that they are both standing for re-election in this year’s council elections.”
Local SNP MSP Stewart Stevenson said:
“It is a pleasure to work with two very committed councillors who represent Buckie very capably indeed. I am pleased to give them my wholehearted support and would urge Buckie voters to give them the backing they need in May to continue representing the Buckie Ward on Moray Council.”
Sonya Warren's Biography:
Sonya has lived in the Buckie area with her husband Alan for 35 years and it is here that her 3 children Nicola, Christopher and Matthew grew up and went to school. For the family Buckie has become far more than just a home town.
Together with her husband, she runs a successful Buckie based, award winning business, employing 17 people, with a clear commitment to training and apprenticeships. The company also takes part in the local schools work experience programmes. This is the second year that Sonya has been elected to be Chairperson of the Inverness and North of Scotland Branch of SELECT, the trade association for electricians, representing local businesses in the Central Board in Edinburgh.
Sonya is passionate about giving back to and promoting the local community, she was previously the secretary of Millbank Primary School PTA from 1993 – 2004. Prior to her election to Council she was an active member of The Buckie Area Forum for several years. She is a member of the Buckie Regeneration Group and the Buckie and Findochty Harbour Advisory Committees, and is also an active member of the Buckie Rotary Club.
Since becoming a Councillor, Sonya is working to support all the local schools and Parent Councils, regularly attending the Parent council meetings, she attends the Buckie Area Forum and the Buckie and Findochty Community Councils. She also chairs Employability Moray, the community planning partnership group that monitors and develops skills and training needs and demands in Moray. As part of this Sonya also supports the ‘Developing the Young Workforce’ project.
In her spare time Sonya enjoys going to concerts, watching football, walking and spending time with her family.
Gordon McDonald Biography:
Gordon and his wife Linda, a former staff nurse at Seafield Hospital in Buckie, have lived in the Buckie area for 35 years and it is here that their 4 children Graeme, Douglas, Stuart and Kirsty all attended Portgordon Primary and Buckie High School. His mother whose maiden name was Chrissie Bruce was born and brought up in Buckpool.
Gordon is a retired Customs and Excise officer and was first elected as a Councillor for Buckie in 1988 on the then Grampian Regional Council. Together with his wife he owned Alba Video in Buckie and Keith.
He is Chairman of the Buckie Regeneration Group leading on many community projects such as the Fishwives Walk, Buckie Community Radio, the “Buckie Lugger” bags and keeping Buckie Townhouse open after Moray Council were going to mothball it.
Gordon is also Chairman of both the Buckie Harbour Advisory Committee and Findochty Harbour Advisory Committee and has been at the forefront in promoting Buckie as a base for the renewable energy industry.
He regularly attends bodies such as Buckie and Findochty Community Councils and Buckie Area Forum.
Gordon is also Convener of Buckie SNP Branch and the Banffshire and Buchan Coast SNP Constituency Association.
