Election / Tories pick election candidate
THE CONSERVATIVES have picked their candidate for the Northern Isles constituency in the upcoming general election.
Jenny Fairbairn, who lives in Orkney, will represent the party in the 12 December election.
The 73-year-old is retired but volunteers at the Salvation Army shop in Kirkwall.
A former town councillor in Dunstable and district councillor in South Bedfordshire, Fairbairn served as Mayor of Dunstable, as well as being a former school governor.
She has lived in Orkney for just over 11 years, choosing to retire there after “falling in love” with the islands on honeymoon around 50 years ago.
Fairbairn, who was selected by local Conservative groups, said: “I want politics to focus on the issues that matter to people in our islands, but that won’t be able to happen while the other political parties are playing games on Brexit and on independence.
“Like many people, I am sick and tired of the shilly shallying around leaving the EU. I know there are some very strong views on both sides, but I think most people just want it sorted and the uncertainty to end.
“What worries me, and will worry a lot of people, is that Nicola Sturgeon has made it very clear that she’s willing to put Jeremy Corbyn into government, with the price being another independence referendum.
“With the LibDems not ruling out working with Corbyn, only the Scottish Conservatives stand against that nightmare Sturgeon/Corbyn pact and another vote on breaking up the UK.”
Shetland Conservative and Unionist Association chairman Maurice Mullay said he was “delighted” with the choice of candidate.
“This election is a chance to end the uncertainty over Brexit by electing a government which will honour the result of the EU referendum, and only a vote for the Scottish Conservatives is a vote for a party committed to doing that,” he added.
Independent candidate David Barnard, from Stromness, has also thrown his hat into the ring.
The other publicly confirmed candidates due to stand in the Northern Isles are Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrats), Coilla Drake (Labour) and Robert Leslie (SNP).
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