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Popular Badenoch and Strathspey Highland councillor to stand down





Badenoch and Strathspey Highland councillor Stuart Black
Badenoch and Strathspey Highland councillor Stuart Black

One of Badenoch and Strathspey’s best-known faces will be standing down at the forthcoming Highland Council elections in May.

Councillor Stuart Black (Lib Dem) has announced that he will not be canvassing for his own votes after 22 years in local government.

The 63-year-old sheep farmer said that age was not a factor, but he feels the time has come to step down from politics.

Mr Black said: "It is an extraordinary privilege to be elected by the people to represent them, and I am very grateful for the support that I have had over the years.

"It has been really great. There is a lot of cynicism about politicians at all levels, but all my colleagues have been a delight to work with throughout the years, as have the council staff.

"The last five years have been very difficult because of the various cuts that have had to be made to the budget, but I am proud that the financial side was led by the Lib Dems.

"It has been pretty unpalatable at times, but we have stuck to the task and have a balanced budget which might not have happened otherwise. We have taken a huge amount out of the budget over the last five years – £50 million – but at the same time striven to do as little harm as possible.

"We have tried to protect the important services as much as possible – those services that people depend on – and I think we have done it."

Mr Black will be canvassing for fellow Lib Dem member Gregor Rimell for the next local election.

But he added: "I believe all three of my colleagues deserve to be elected. I have huge admiration for the way we have all worked together as a team, and because of this we have punched above our weight in the council."

Among the achievements he is proud of being part of, he said, were helping to empower local communities and the increase in recycling rates.

Mr Black started in 1990 on Badenoch and Strathspey District Council after beating Mr Ronnie Dunn to represent Nethy Bridge, and was then elected to the new Highland Council in 1996.

He received the most votes in the first round of any of the 80 Highland councillors in 2007.

"It is difficult to articulate why the time is right to move on; it’s just a gut feeling. Also, I couldn’t have done this amount of time in politics without the support of my family. It has certainly been to the detriment of the family – wife Barbara and my daughter, Kirsty."

As for the future, Barbara has bought her husband a greenhouse. "It’s a tale of two preferences. I’ve got a new greenhouse and I have bought a push bike myself – but I already know which one will get more use, and it’s not the one with two wheels!"

Mr Black also retains a flock of 70 ewes at his home, Carn Eilrig by Nethy Bridge, although at one time he had 800 head.


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