Please find this morning’s speech from Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross in which he announced his intention to seek the party’s nomination for the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East seat (check against delivery):
Can I begin with a sincere apology to the media for the late notice of this statement.
This is not a speech I expected to be giving.
David Duguid is a friend and colleague who I’ve worked well with since we were both elected in 2017 for neighbouring constituencies.
Several weeks ago, he developed serious health issues.
He has received excellent care from the doctors, nurses and NHS professionals. My whole party sends them our thanks and to David and his family, our best wishes, for his continued recovery.
David was the first Scottish Conservative to win the Banff and Buchan seat at a General Election since 1983.
He has built a strong reputation as a UK-wide authority on fishing.
He has worked exceptionally hard for his constituents and served them with distinction, both locally and nationally after being asked by two Prime Ministers to serve in Government.
Unfortunately, with real regret, the party management board concluded that David could not proceed as our candidate for the new seat of Aberdeenshire North and Moray East.
I want to personally thank him for the significant role he has played and there will always be a place for him in the Scottish Conservatives.
Going forward, we need a candidate to fight this seat at short notice. Nominations close tomorrow.
This is one of many seats we’re defending against the SNP - and one we fully intend to win with the support of local voters.
Over the last 12 hours, I weighed up the options and I have discussed it with my family, colleagues and local members.
After boundary changes this new seat includes part of my former Moray constituency, and some of the council ward I was first elected to serve back in 2007.
This constituency will be very competitive, a hard fought, close contest between the Scottish Conservatives and the SNP.
I have decided I need to lead from the front.
This evening I will put myself forward for nomination as the Scottish Conservative candidate to beat the SNP in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East.
I’m ready for this challenge.
I fought and beat then SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson in 2017. In 2021, I stopped an SNP majority when all the polls said they had it in the bag. Just last month, my vote of no confidence removed Humza Yousaf from office.
I know how to beat the SNP and I know how important it is to local voters that we do so.
I know the stakes in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East.
I know how damaging it would be for constituents, including many I’ve already represented as MP for Moray, to have an SNP MP who only focuses on independence at the expense of all the issues that really matter to local people.
I know the local issues. I know the action that local people want to see.
So I will stand in this seat and I intend to beat the SNP again, so we can get the focus onto the top priorities of local people, such as creating good jobs, reducing NHS waiting lists and fixing the roads.
I want the next five years to be all about those key issues.
But that will only happen if voters back me to defeat the SNP candidate, who would obsess about independence above all the other issues that matter far more to local people.
In this seat, as with many seats across Scotland, it’s a straight fight between my party and the SNP.
I fully expect the SNP will throw everything they’ve got at beating me.
They’ll mobilise teams from the Central Belt to come north and hand out leaflets.
John Swinney will give us a rare visit.
The SNP HQ in Edinburgh will pour money into Aberdeenshire North and Moray East.
But if everybody locally who wants to beat the SNP comes together, I know we can keep the Nationalists out.
So this afternoon I will go to the constituency to seek my party’s nomination and start my campaign.
In Aberdeenshire North and Moray East, and across Scotland, this election is an opportunity to beat the SNP so we can get all of the focus onto the issues that really matter.
The SNP are down – now let’s get them out.
Vote Scottish Conservative and we’ll end the SNP’s obsession with independence for good.