'You can only play so much golf': Peter Chapman 'comes out of retirement' in Tory Aberdeenshire by-election hat-trick (original) (raw)

The Tories took a clean sweep in the Aberdeenshire Council polls.

November 8 2024, 12:37 pm

Peter Chapman has won a seat on Aberdeenshire Council three years after quitting politics.

Peter Chapman has won a seat on Aberdeenshire Council three years after quitting politics. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson

The Tories have staged a clean sweep by claiming three seats on Aberdeenshire Council in a trio of by-elections.

Former Peterhead councillor Iain Sutherland was elected to the Fraserburgh and District ward with 36% of the first preference vote, beating out local businessman Conrad Ritchie.

In Central Buchan, former MSP Peter Chapman was the clear winner with a whopping 41% majority.

Tracy Smith, who co-founder of the Save Our Mearns campaign group, romped to victory in the area with another big lead.

The rare three-in-one vote took place after the near-simultaneous resignation of three members a few months ago.

The candidates for Central Buchan lining up to hear the results. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson

Voting took place at 34 polling stations across the region between 7am and 10pm on Thursday, November 7.

The winners and losers gathered at Inverurie Town Hall this morning to find out the results…

Reform challenge not enough to defeat Tories in Broch

Ballot boxes were emptied and the count got under way at 10am, with anxious candidates and their supporters looking on from the sidelines.

Tories looking on. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson

Screens in the hall showed how the results stacked up as they were coming in, with scores of onlookers huddled around.

The first result to be announced was Fraserburgh.

Prominent local businessman Conrad Ritchie hoped to secure a seat on Aberdeenshire Council for the Reform party.

Despite this being his first venture into local politics, the 52-year-old managed to pick up 25.9% of the vote, with 817 cast in his favour, mirroring the trend of the recent General Election.

A dejected Mr Ritchie watches the results come in. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson

The former Score boss’ insurgent party had picked up 14% of the votes in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East at the Westminster election.

Mr Ritchie, who yesterday posted a video on Facebook pleading for people to vote, blamed his third-place finish on the “very disappointing” turnout.

But he didn’t rule out standing in the next Scottish Parliament elections in 2026.

What were the results?

This seat was vacated by new SNP MP Seamus Logan, who claimed a huge scalp when he defeated former Tory boss Douglas Ross in July’s Westminster vote.

Before the count got under way, anxious Conservative officials indicated they were slightly worried over Reform possibly eating into their votes.

But Mr Sutherland, who lives in Fraserburgh and owns A Special Treat coffee shop in Peterhead, won by a comfortable margin.

A beaming Iain Sutherland following his victory. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson

The SNP also put up a respectable challenge through Mike McDonald, but despite being backed by ex-councillor Brian Topping, he only secured 895 votes.

Full Fraserburgh and District results:

Speaking after the result was announced, Mr Sutherland said: “Fraserburgh is a great town to live in and I will do my best to represent them.”

Chapman makes comeback in Central Buchan ward

This ward was shaped up to have a razor-tight margin, with the Tories just edging out the Nationalists here by 100 votes in 2022.

But it turned out to be a landslide victory for the Conservatives, as former MSP Peter Chapman won with 41% of votes.

Tory candidates and supporters celebrating after the result. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson

Why do you think the Tories staged a clean sweep in Aberdeenshire? Let us know in our comments section below

The Mintlaw farmer succeeded in his first foray back into politics after he quit Holyrood in 2021.

He was MSP for North East Scotland between 2016 and 2021, and an Aberdeenshire councillor between 2007 and 2012 before that.

Full Central Buchan results:

Why did Peter Chapman make political comeback aged 74?

When he left Holyrood, the veteran Conservative was looking forward to putting his feet up.

But speaking after securing his return to the political arena, Mr Chapman joked that “you can only play so much golf”.

He said: “At that point, I was 71 and I didn’t fancy another five years in the role.

“It’s a pretty intensive job being an MSP. It’s a six-day-a-week job if you do it right.

“Driving to Edinburgh every week and coming home at night in the dark, I wasn’t enjoying that particularly and decided that was enough.

“But I’ve had two or three years now in retirement… And you can only play so much golf.”

Peter Chapman has previously championed the use of Doric in the Scottish Parliament.

Peter Chapman has previously championed the use of Doric in the Scottish Parliament.

He added: “It’s my ward as well, I wouldn’t have stood anywhere else other than Central Buchan.

“I have come out of retirement if you like, but there’s still a bit of life in me yet… I reckon I’ve got a few more years ahead of me, so I feel fit, well and ready to go.”

Tories complete clean sweep in Mearns in Aberdeenshire by-election hat-trick

The final seat to be counted at Inverurie Town Hall today was Mearns.

Ex-SNP Councillor Kevin Stelfox’s resignation there left a third council vacancy.

The Conservatives yet again gained from the SNP.

Tracey Smith made it a trifecta for the Tories in the Aberdeenshire by-election result. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson

Tory candidate Tracey Smith was elected here, after entering the limelight by leading the fight against plans for SSEN’s Kintore to Tealing overhead line.

Speaking on the Town Hall stage, Mrs Smith said the result was a “bit surreal” but she that she was ready to get to work.

Full Mearns results:

How many people voted?

By around noon, the counting was over and done with and the Tory candidates and their entourage were celebrating outside the hall.

A relieved Conservative insider told us they had been “hoping to win one or two”.

The count took a few hours to complete. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson

The turnout was 27.4% in Frsaserburgh and District, from an electorate of 11,584.

In Central Buchan, there was an electorate of 11,408 and 27% turnout.

And in the Mearns ward, 27.8% of the 12,414 electorate took to the polls.

Read more: