Elgin South By-election: ‘I’m offering a common sense approach’, says candidate.
Voters in Elgin City South will go to the polls this Thursday to elect a new councillor.
One of the ward’s three seats became vacant in July when SNP councillor Graham Leadbitter was elected to Westminster as the MP for Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey.
There are four candidates standing – Liberal Democrat Neil Alexander, Conservative Elaine Kirby, Catriona McBain for Labour and the SNP’s Laura Mitchell.
Here, in the second of four articles being published today, we speak to Elaine Kirby, who is a financial advisor and has also worked in banking, farming, floristry and property development.
Explaining why she feels the time is now right to enter the political arena, the Conservative candidate says: “I’ve put my family first these last two decades above all else.
“But now, as they begin to fly the nest, I believe I’d make a very strong and vocal local councillor offering a common sense approach.
“I’m in this to help and firmly believe I’m the strongest candidate currently running to represent the people of Elgin City South.”
Ms Kirby is backing a fully dualled bypass for the town and for the whole A96.
She has pledged to lobby the Scottish Government to get it done if elected.
In addition, she feels Elgin’s roads are too congested, with a “dangerous level of traffic” on the streets.
Ms Kirby says: “I’d like to see less pollution within the town everyday where our children play, and see no sense in giant industry-led monster trucks manoeuvring round small town roundabouts when a bypass would surely make sense of that for all.
“I would add that, of course, I do care about local wildlife.
“But with our ever-increasing population creating more vehicles on the roads, the common sense answer is to get the bypass done and finished now.
“Were we to be in the Central Belt I’m pretty sure promises would have been kept a long time ago.”
Ms Kirby feels it would be foolish to pick an area to cut to help balance the council’s books before being elected.
But she does want to protect services for the elderly and vulnerable.
And she criticised the Scottish Government for years of underfunding.
She says: “All local councils are sadly struggling … but we can’t just borrow our way out of the problem.
“Less than 20% of Moray’s income is from council tax. The rest is meant to come from our Scottish Government.
“They could, I believe, easily afford to fund us all adequately and properly if they cut some of their pet projects, subsidies and unnecessary quangos surrounded by often pointless bureaucracy.
“Last year our 26 cross-party councillors worked well together to pass a budget that was successfully worked through by their officers.
“Whilst I’m not shy of stating what I personally think, I would be a fool to pick one area for cuts without first of all being elected onto Moray Council.
“Due diligence would be essential as would a team-based approach to ensure the tough decisions that, sadly, have to be made are fair for the wider community.
“As the winter nights draw in I believe we must also protect and respect our elderly and vulnerable.
“Therefore social care would be something that would concern me were local residents made to suffer, especially now that both Labour and the SNP don’t seem to be doing anything about reversing the cuts to the Winter Fuel Payments.”
Ms Kirby also wants changes to legislation to help control urban gulls.
She said: “I can see that local residents, businesses and even Moray Council are doing what they can
“But we need stronger management just now in Elgin and the laws are working against that.
“Where there’s food you’ll get these birds, so a wider plan across the town asking people not to feed them may help directly, as would covering our bins everywhere.”
The vote will take place on Thursday, November 7, with the polls open from 7am to 10pm.
Results will be announced the next day following the count which will take place in Moray Council annex.
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