Aberdeen voters voice frustration as election brings ‘little optimism’ for NHS or city centre
It was an SNP sweep of the Aberdeen constituency seats, with Reform UK also winning their first seats on the regional list.
“Apathy” was the word of the day in Aberdeen city centre today, following the Scottish Parliament election yesterday.
The Press and Journal visited the Granite City to ask people for their reactions after an election which saw the SNP sweep the constituency votes.
The mood on the ground, however, was far from one of excitement at the prospect of what some described as “business as usual”.
The results were confirmed at P&J Live last night.
Jackie Dunbar won in Donside, Jack Middleton took Aberdeen Central, and Stephen Flynn’s bid for Deeside and North Kincardine paid off.
On the regional stage Duncan Massey and Mark Simpson secured Reform UK’s first-ever North East seats.
Liam Kerr and Douglas Lumsden (Conservative), Maggie Chapman (Green), Michael Marra (Scottish Labour), and Yi-Pei Chou Turvey (Liberal Democrat) were also elected.
Despite the results, the overall political outlook in Aberdeen has not shifted dramatically from where it stood before voting began.
Speaking to Aberdonians today, there was little sense of optimism about the next five years.
Few of those The P&J spoke to in the Granite City said they felt “optimistic” about those elected to power yesterday.
One woman, when asked for her opinion, simply blew a raspberry and gave two thumbs down – a reaction not far removed from a common theme we encountered.
However, Margaret Munro, a 76-year-old former accounting assistant, did take the time to share a more considered view.
She expressed concern about the SNP’s focus on independence, fearing it could become a distraction.
But, Margaret was happy Reform UK did not win any constituency seats.
She said: “But the SNP doesn’t fill me with confidence.
“I’m not bothered about independence – they should be worrying about the state of the roads first and foremost.”
NHS and city-centre regeneration dominate concerns as residents react following election
For many, the state of the NHS was the overriding issue.
Linda Taylor, 73, a former NHS worker, said it must remain the government’s top priority.
She said: “My main priority is the NHS. You’d like to think that would be their main priority.
“I’m hopeful they can get changes through, but it takes so long to be seen by a doctor now, and when you do get in it feels like they’re trying to get you away as quickly as possible.
“It was never like that back when I worked there.
“It’s so worrying for people with cancer and other serious conditions.
“The NHS has to be the top priority.”
John Burt, 46, a former oil and gas worker now employed in construction, said he believes “apathy has set in”.
He wasn’t overall displeased by the result but was hoping for a bigger shake up in Holyrood to represent Aberdeen.
He said: “I think there’s just apathy now. They promise one thing after another, but you never see it.
“Aberdeen needs investment, and fast.
“I’ve worked in oil and gas, and you can’t help but feel jealous of places like Norway.
He continued: “There are no shops in the town centre and services just keep declining.
“To be honest, I can’t bring myself to be optimistic about the next five years of government.”
Elaine MacFarlane, who works for the NHS, described the result as “hugely disappointing”.
She said: “We wanted change. We would have preferred the Lib Dems, but nothing on the ballot was overly appealing.
“They’re promising to spend, spend, spend – but where is the money coming from?
“People vote for it, though, unfortunately.
“There are vanity projects all over the place: the beach, Castlegate, Union Street.
“We’ll have shiny new cobbles and no shops.
“I can’t say I’m optimistic, to say the least.”
Frustration over ‘vanity projects’ in Aberdeen city centre
John Beedie – pictured at the top of this article – struck a similarly downbeat tone.
The 83-year-old said: “It’s a terrible result.
“They’re too focused on independence.
“It’s just business as usual.
“I can’t say I’m too hopeful.”
Mrs Simpson, 83, a former cleaner, was equally blunt in her assessment.
She said: “Nothing ever changes.
“It’s just going to be business as usual while Aberdeen has crumbled.
“All this money spent on the beach and the Castlegate, what for?
“Where is the money coming from?
“We need to get back to basics.
“Schools, the NHS and the police.”
[Source: Press and Journal]
