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The Courier
an hour ago
- Business
- The Courier
Angus North and Mearns Tory hopeful plots challenge to SNP dominance
Conservative Holyrood hopeful Tess White says she is confident she can challenge the SNP's dominance in Angus North and Mearns, even as her party struggles in the polls. The current list MSP for the North East Scotland parliamentary region has been picked to represent the party in her home constituency – currently represented by the SNP's Mairi Gougeon. But she will face an uphill battle in what is one of the safer SNP seats. The nationalists secured over 48% of the vote at the last election with Ms Gougeon – who announced she is standing down next year – handed a majority of over 3,500. Speaking to The Courier, Ms White set out her vision and explained how she plans to win round voters. Key in her pitch to voters will be highlighting what she describes as SNP neglect. 'A lot of what has happened here, in Angus North and Mearns, would be considered a scandal if it happened in the central belt,' Ms White said. 'Part of the issue is Mairi Gougeon is noticeable by her absence. One of the issues, the massive concerns about the overhead pylons across the prime agricultural land. It's huge. 'That is a huge threat to the north-east and it's only just starting to filter through.' Another priority Ms White identifies is Brechin, which she says was 'abandoned' after Storm Babet. 'I demanded action,' she says. 'I wanted to make sure they had financial support. 'If this had happened in the central belt it would have been a scandal, because 1,000 people were forced to leave their homes when the 2016 flood defences failed. 'They didn't do a proper job and were surprised when they failed. The bill now could top £500 million. The houses still need to be rebuilt, we've lost key employers, and basically the grants that were given were absolutely disgraceful.' She added: 'And Montrose is falling into the sea. Seven meters were lost during Babet and Gerrit. There's a six year flood strategy, but Angus only got £440,000 for Montrose. That is shocking.' The Holyrood hopeful also wants to focus on local healthcare issues. 'The decade of decline. You've got local healthcare and policing issues. Whether its Montrose – the huge issue we have with GP practice and the minor injury unit that was closed down,' she said. Finally she also wants to tackle the scourge of violence in local schools, highlighting the recent case where a pupil was caught with a knife. The incident occurred on Friday May 16, at Laurencekirk School. A boy, aged 12, has been charged. But it won't just be the SNP Ms White is battling. Polling suggests her party will be the big losers to Nigel Farage's Reform UK, which is targeting the north-east in its bid to win seats in the Scottish Parliament. Asked why voters should choose her over Reform, Ms White said: 'Nigel Farage wants to slash funding for our NHS, schools, roads and many other essential services which would hit hard-working Scots with a double whammy of spending cuts and tax hikes.' As well as Ms White, the SNP has confirmed Stonehaven councillor Dawn Black will represent the party in Angus North and Mearns. Other parties are yet to announce their candidates.
The Courier
3 days ago
- Business
- The Courier
Brechin blinds factory on the market after collapse of famous firm
A buyer is being sought for the factory of collapsed Brechin blinds firms Stevens Scotland. The long-established family firm closed at the end of 2024. Around 50 local staff lost their jobs five days before Christmas. Bosses blamed a downturn in UK sales for the decision. They said the company had struggled against reduced consumer spending on homes due to the cost-of-living crisis. The company's Denburn Way factory is now on the market. Stevens moved into the purpose-built premises around 25 years ago. Commercial property agents Colliers say the 70,379 sq ft building sits on a 2.46 acres site. It includes a steel portal frame warehouse and two-storey office to the front of the main building. There is a reception and meeting rooms at ground level, with the main open plan office area on the first floor. A mezzanine level runs through the warehouse. A staff canteen is part of an extension added in 2006. The factory also includes car parking opposite and expansion land to the east of the unit. It is close to the original site of the now converted Denburn linen works, and beside Brechin's Lidl supermarket. Stevens was set up in 1968 and grew to become one of the biggest names in the UK window blinds market. In 2015, it was bought by Dutch-based industry giant Hunter Douglas. Company accounts showed the Angus operation remained profitable at the end of 2023. Turnover for the 2023 financial year was £8.1m, a reduction from £9.2m in 2022. Pre-tax profits increased to £1.2m from £1.1m in 2022. Around 80 staff were employed during that period. The accounts also revealed a dividend payment of more than £8 million was agreed before the closure decision. Brechin faces another economy and jobs blow with confirmation of a closure date for the Matrix International engineering factory. Operations there are set to cease before the end of 2025. It follows the decision of US owners to shut the 86-year-old firm after the factory was badly affected by Storm Babet in 2023.
The Courier
5 days ago
- Automotive
- The Courier
Brechin Matrix production moving to global sites as factory closure date revealed
Brechin's historic Matrix International factory is slated for closure before the end of 2025. In March, bosses at the East Mill Road engineering plant told staff their jobs were under threat. US owners of the 86-year-old company said they were considering transferring operations abroad. A consultation with the Angus workforce was launched. It has now concluded and the future of the plant has been confirmed. The decision will see parent company Regal Rexnord move Matrix International work from Brechin to other global sites. Those are Shenzhen in China, Angers in France, and New Hartford in the USA. The firm has said Angus production will run until November. The news is the latest economic hammer blow to the town in the wake of Storm Babet. Matrix – which began as a wartime engineering operation in 1939 – was swamped by the River South Esk in October 2023. It was left under feet of water. Three months later, staff were told manufacturing and production would cease there. However, assembly of highly specialised electromagnetic equipment such as brakes and clutches continued. It is thought to have employed around 100 staff in early 2024. The company has been approached for comment on the latest developments. The Matrix site is owned by local firm JJKS Estates. Last month, company director Kevin Mackie said Regal Rexnord had committed to a lease until 2038 before Storm Babet struck. He continues to press Angus Council for details of their communications with the company in the wake of the disaster. Mr Mackie and fellow JJKS director Jack Souttar have called for a full inquiry into the Matrix collapse. The authority previously said it worked alongside Scottish Enterprise to help JJKS and Matrix after the storm.
The Courier
6 days ago
- Business
- The Courier
New council power team to hold on to £1m SNP fighting fund for Angus rebuild
Ousted SNP councillors say they will be 'watching closely' how a million-pound fund to rebuild Angus is used by the group which dumped them from power. The £1 million Angus infrastructure fund was revealed when the council set its budget in February. It was a surprise announcement by the then SNP-led administration. And the fund was the key difference between its budget and opposition proposals. Ex-leader Bill Duff planned to use it to unlock around £20m of extra borrowing capacity. He said it would 'restore basic infrastructure that has suffered from underinvestment and climate-related damage for some time.' Rebuilding Brechin after Storm Babet and combating the threat of coastal erosion at Montrose were given as examples. But it proved to be the SNP's last big move before they lost control of Angus Council. A new multi-party coalition grabbed power in April after securing a vote of no confidence in the ruling group. It is led by one-time stand-in SNP chief George Meechan and Arbroath Conservative Derek Wann. Kirriemuir councillor Mr Meechan confirmed the seven-figure fund will stay in the spending plans. 'The administration group have no plans to change the overall concept of the infrastructure fund,' he said. Former leader Mr Duff said: 'I very much welcome that the incoming administration recognise the value of the innovative infrastructure fund introduced in February's budget by the SNP/Independent administration. 'This offers over £20m of additional capital resource. 'This initial investment will start to address Angus's serious infrastructure requirements. 'Specifically, we were very conscious of the need to spend capital on dealing with the aftermath of Storm Babet and the reconstruction required in Brechin, and the impacts of coastal erosion in Montrose, both impacts of global warming. 'As the public will know, neither the then opposition budget nor the non-aligned budget addressed these two critical issues.' 'We will be watching carefully how this fund is used.'
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Will anyone miss a council flood committee?
On its first day in charge of Lincolnshire County Council Reform UK abolished one of the authority's most important and powerful committees. The Flood and Water Management Scrutiny Committee oversaw nearly every aspect of flood defence in a county that has been devastated by flooding in recent years. Despite cross-party pleas to save it, Reform UK's new council leader Sean Matthews said he wanted to save money and "streamline" the authority. But will scrapping the committee make any difference to the experiences of those who live with the threat of flooding? Forget politics for a second. Let's start with geography. When it comes to flooding, Lincolnshire is one of the most vulnerable places in Britain; this low-lying region is criss-crossed by a complexity of rivers and drains. The county also has more than 50 miles (80km) of coastline and nearly all of this needs defending from the North Sea. Every drop of rainfall that falls on Lincolnshire must be managed. This means either pumping it out to sea via the river and drainage network or diverting water and storing it. And the flood risks are far from being theoretical. In recent years Lincolnshire has been battered by a succession of powerful weather systems. Most notably Storm Babet and Storm Henk between October 2023 and February 2024, when 900 homes were flooded and 13 river defences were seriously damaged. According to the Met Office, this part of the country recorded its wettest ever winter on record, experiencing a month's rain in just a 24 hour period. No one ever lost sleep over the scrapping of council committee, right? Well, drive through this watery landscape on a rainy November morning and you might see their point. Conservative councillor Ian Carrington, who sat on the Committee said "it was very unfortunate" that it had been scrapped. "The committee did not just listen and scrutinise, it took steps to improve the protection that the people of Lincolnshire enjoy from the scourge of flooding", he said. Defending Lincolnshire from flooding involves a number of public bodies as well as specialist officers from the Council. These include The Environment Agency, which plays a leading role in protecting people and property. There are also at least 15 Internal Drainage Boards or IDBs. These IDBs have specialist local knowledge and operate hundreds of pumping stations, sluices and flood gates. There are lots of moving parts in a flood defence plan. The Flood and Water Management Scrutiny Committee was there to try to make them all work together. It made recommendations, including calls for more government money and it would hold to account the myriad private and public bodies. The Flood and Water Scrutiny Committee met four times a year. It involved at least 18 councillors and dozens of other specialists. These were drawn from the council itself, from the IDBs, The Environment Agency and private companies such as Anglian Water. Conservative councillor Ian Carrington said the recent experiences of big storms in Lincolnshire demonstrated the need for the committee: "When you have been through the appalling experiences that many of our local residents have been through, any dilution of our ability to improve the situation has to be deeply worrying." he said. But Reform UK scrapped the committee on its first day in charge of Lincolnshire County Council. The new administration said the change would save money and simplify the council. Reform UK Council leader Sean Matthews, said that flooding will now sit within the Environment Committee, which already deals with issues such as waste and pollution Mr Matthews said: "I want there to be more meetings about flooding in the county and by moving it under the umbrella of Environment we get to talk about it more." he said. "We will work longer and harder on flooding than ever before." he added. Labour group leader Councillor Karen Lee described the change as "Reckless, foolhardy and wrong". As the climate changes, as rain events become more frequent and more severe, it is clear that properties in Lincolnshire are under an increasing threat. The immediate responses to flooding incidents are unlikely to change in the short term. There are well-rehearsed protocols between the council, the fire service and the police. Seasoned professionals who work hard to mitigate the worst of what nature throws at us. But the longer-term strategies of defence, response and recovery will also need to function effectively; what we learn from flood events, whom we hold to account and where we spend the money to improve protection for communities. All this against a backdrop of tightening budgets. Even the government's Environment Secretary Emma Hardy has described the state of the UK's flood defences as being in the 'worst state on record' Despite resounding criticism from its political rivals Reform UK is arguing that its "simplified" approach will better serve the thousands of vulnerable residents, some of whom look nervously to the skies every time the clouds darken. Cllr Sean Matthews denied he was watering-down the council's role: "Absolutely not. We were elected on a mandate of reducing waste and simplifying the council, and this [decision] will do that." Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. New Reform council abolishes flood committee Repairs 'to cost £45m' after storms hit county 'Do something for a change' - Flooded farmers Lincolnshire County Council
