A COUNCILLOR and former soldier will contest the Banffshire and Buchan Coast seat in the 2021 Holyrood election for the Scottish Conservatives. Mark Findlater, who currently represents the Troup ward in Aberdeenshire Council, won the backing of party members at a hustings in Mintlaw. The 49-year-old was first elected as an independent councillor in Aberdeenshire in 2012 but joined the Tories to campaign for Peter Chapman during the 2016 Holyrood election. He was subsequently re-elected as a Scottish Conservative and Unionist councillor in 2017. Mr Findlater lives in Macduff and attended Banff Academy and Portsoy Primary. He joined the British Army after leaving school at 17 and served eight operational tours of duty in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Kosovo.
His military career included work in military intelligence and bomb disposal. In addition to the operational tours, he also served in Germany, France, Cyprus and Canada. Mr Findlater left the forces after 23 years with the rank of Staff Sergeant in the Royal Signals.
Speaking after his adoption was announced, Mr Findlater said: “I am honoured to have been adopted as the Scottish Conservative candidate for Banffshire and Buchan Coast. “I live in the constituency and have represented the Troup ward for the last
seven years, so I think I have a good understanding of what really matters to people in this area. “I relish the prospect of making my case to the people across this constituency that I should be their next MSP.
For full story see Banffshire Advertiser 25th June 2019