Why the election battle for one of Scotland's largest constituencies will be a shoot-out

Angus and Perthshire Glens is one of the most picturesque constituencies in Scotland. It’s also one of the biggest.

Stretching over 100 miles from east to west and more than 50 miles from north to south, the six candidates standing there have been clocking up massive distances while out on the campaign trail. 

This new constituency, taking in more than 75,000 people, is made up of five different old constituencies - Angus, Perth and North Perthshire, Dundee West, Dundee East, and Ochil and South Perthshire.

In 2019, all of these seats were won by the SNP. So how can one person possibly cover such a vast geographic area, with very different priorities and life experiences?

Who better to ask than the locals themselves. 

East Perthshire

Johnathan Menzies is the editor of the Blairgowrie Advertiser, covering the Strathmore and East Perthshire area of the constituency.

Born in Kirkmichael, Mr Menzies said it would be “quite difficult” for the winner to turn their hand to such different areas. One thing that is important to people in the Blairgowrie area, he said, was community spirit.

“Blairgowrie is somewhere close to my heart,” Mr Menzies said. “It has changed a lot over the last few years, but fundamentally the core values of the people here are the same.

“If you are stuck and needing help, people would do anything for you. I know it sounds like a cliché, but just look at how the region responded to the flooding in Alyth. That will sit with me for a long time.”

National issues such as the cost-of-living crisis are certainly having an impact, but Mr Menzies said there were specific issues facing the region.

“Blairgowrie is famous for its soft fruits industry and there is a berry rivalry between here and Angus,” he said. “There are some farms that have had to close or really curtail their operations because of a lack of seasonal workers over the last two years, so there is a lingering impact of Brexit.

“Another issue is mental health. Investment in support services here is something people would be keen to see from the government.”

Highland Perthshire

Just to the west, Councillor Xander McDade is the provost of Perth and Kinross and an independent councillor for Highland Perthshire.

He said: “It is vast with a stunning landscape and very traditional rural communities with a lot of tourists interspersed. It is also remote - Rannoch is the most connectivity-deprived party of the mainland.”

Councillor Xander McDade, provost of Perth and Kinross and independent councillor for the Highland ward.

Born in Pitlochry, Cllr McDade is also a businessman in the area and said he believed most issues could be tied back to one thing - housing.

“It exacerbates the economy because businesses can’t get staff to stay in the area, and it impacts on essential services like health and social care because huge numbers of staff don’t live in the county,” he said.

“The cost-of-living crisis has also impacted people in rural areas for longer. Oil heating, which is common here, rose a lot more quickly than gas and electricity did at the start because it was not price capped, for example.”

Angus

Peter Davidson, chief executive of Montrose FC Community Trust, said he believed climate change was something people in Angus cared about at this election.

“I was born and brought up in Angus and I wouldn’t choose to move anywhere else,” Mr Davidson said. “It is beautiful here and the natural resources are fantastic. Unfortunately, many of those natural resources are under threat from changing weather. 

“Coastal erosion is playing on people’s minds in Montrose, and Brechin underwent horrific flooding recently.”

He said the area was also experiencing a housing emergency, and that along with ensuring well-paying jobs come to the region, was something the new MP would need to address.

For the SNP - Dave Doogan

This seat will be a straight fight between the SNP and the Conservatives. The Conservatives came second in four out of the five seats that make up this new constituency in the 2019 election.

Dave Doogan is confident he has what it takes to cover this massive constituency, as he has been the SNP MP for Angus since 2019 and is a former Perth and Kinross councillor.

Dave Doogan is the SNP candidate for Angus and Perthshire Glens.

He said: “It will take an MP with careful planning to deliver an effective service across a constituency of that size. No one knows the businesses, the communities and the voluntary sector here like I do.”

Mr Doogan claimed a widespread desire to boot the Conservatives out of government would lead to his success on July 4, adding: “We’ve seen some appalling behaviour from the current government and it hasn’t stopped, with government insiders betting on the day of the election knowing full well when it is.

“The only way to stop the Tories in Angus and Perthshire Glens is to vote SNP.”

For the Conservatives - Stephen Kerr

In the Conservative corner is Stephen Kerr.

Despite working as an MSP for Central Scotland, he is an Angus man at heart.

“I come from Forfar and the opportunity to represent my home in the House of Commons was a compelling motivation to stand,” he said. “I love this place and I love the people - they made me what I am.”

Stephen Kerr MSP is the Scottish Conservative candidate for Angus and Perthshire Glens.

Mr Kerr said despite the diversity, the areas also had a lot in common as they were all mostly rural.

“In Perthshire there is the A9 dualling and sensitivity around short-term lets, and in Angus there are pylons coming through beautiful and productive farmland, which people are angry about,” he said.

“But there are common issues too like broadband and mobile signal. A high number own cars, but it is rare to find someone who hasn’t damaged their car because of the state of the roads.

“Others are concerned about hospital appointments and seeing a GP face-to-face, and parents are concerned about discipline and antisocial behaviour in schools. It is a very rural constituency, which feels neglected and left behind in favour of the Central Belt.”