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February/March 2025 Newsletter

  • Writer: Liam Kerr
    Liam Kerr
  • Jul 7, 2025
  • 5 min read

Updated: Jul 9, 2025

Welcome to my newsletter, where I set out what I have been doing over the last month. If you want to see more of what I am up to, follow me on social media. If I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to get in touch through the details below. 



Businesses in Aberdeen are suffering at the hands of the incompetent SNP Lib Dem city council. The bus gate fiasco continues to drive away their customers and city centre stalwart the Esslemont bar and restaurant has closed for good.


A legal challenge led by Norman Esslemont has been lodged with Scotland’s highest civil court, backed by over £40,000 of crowdfunding.


I’m with our leader Russell Findlay when he says the bus gates are “completely and utterly bonkers”. The council’s co-leader Christian Allard says this is “talking the city down”. Time to get these fools out.


You can read more of my thoughts here: https://tinyurl.com/y7vvzkm9


Watch me discuss city centre closures here: https://tinyurl.com/4n9s2phs


Owners of RAAC affected homes face losses of potentially up to £50,000 as the council insist on buying their homes back for a cheap, post-RAAC price. To date, only four council purchases have been agreed. I joined homeowners in the city centre as they demanded action.


Since January, the Scottish Government Housing Minister has received three letters from me highlighting the plight of RAAC affected owners. I’ve even offered to sort out a venue and time to meet with the homeowners! The ball is in the SNP’s court.


I will continue to fight for justice.



On a very cold day last month, the Scottish Conservatives gathered in a layby beside the A96 to remind the SNP that they promised to fully dual this road 14 years ago. Despite increasing accidents and fatalities, no action has been taken. The SNP has even overseen a report which suggests abandoning full dualling, with the meagre offering of bypasses instead.


At a meeting with Transport Scotland and the Transport Secretary, I demanded answers about when the SNP’s promise to dual the A96 will be revealed. No response.


You can sign the petition to dual the A96 here: https://tinyurl.com/mrxc4vvr


You can watch a report on our campaign here: https://tinyurl.com/4rmsdr7a


Despite my repeated requests, the SNP have put no money aside to reopen railway stations at Cove and Newtonhill. New stations would create faster, more environmentally friendly travel, reduce congestion on the roads and bolster the economy.


For too long, the Scottish Government has favoured Central Belt projects where we have seen new stations opening.


My petition to reopen Cove & Newtonhill stations has gathered over 1,600 signatures. I will continue to make sure the North East has a voice for rail infrastructure.


Click here to sign the petition: https://tinyurl.com/2ypkkh3n


Read more of my thoughts here: https://tinyurl.com/56ahnpze


At FMQ’s, I raised an urgent concern in Parliament about the year-long delay to the opening of the £2.5 million Ucan SURE (Swift Urological Response and Evaluation) cancer unit in Aberdeen. The specialist unit, at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, meant to transform the care of patients with Urological cancers, has further been stalled by a last-minute change in location, pushing back its opening by at least 13 months.


Lives are at stake, and yet, John Swinney dismissed my call for the Scottish Government to step in with extra funding and resources for NHS Grampian to get this project back on track.


You can watch the clip here: https://tinyurl.com/yvpx5bj3


The Principal of RGU Professor Steve Olivier has warned that Higher Education Institutions face a “major existential threat”.


With a Scottish Funding Council loan going towards helping Dundee University, I asked the Minister for Higher Education if the SNP will support Robert Gordon University and North East College Scotland.


His answer? No, and went on to blame the previous Tory Government for his own Government's failures.


You can watch the exchange here: https://tinyurl.com/c46w7674


It was a pleasure to visit Banff Academy and meet the class of 1976 reunion group. I presented the group with a Motion certificate celebrating the £1000 they raised to support current S1 to S3 pupils through wellbeing activities. It was great to meet with the headteacher and teachers at the Academy to discuss the excellent work the school is doing.

 

I was delighted to be invited to take part in a talk about politics for pupils at Bucksburn Academy. It was great to take questions from pupils and speak to their dedicated teachers.

 

The flagship Granite Noir crime writing festival returned to Aberdeen in February, and it was a pleasure to attend. The talent we have in the North East was on full display and serves as a reminder how important culture and the arts is to our city.


At a crucial time for the energy industry, I met with representatives from the North Sea Transition Authority to hear about the crucial work they are doing towards reducing emissions.

Always keen to hear from my constituents, I headed to Milltimber and Culter with a team of volunteers to deliver my resident surveys. I am grateful for the responses received and will do my utmost to address concerns raised by you.


The SNP have finally told us they will review sentencing policy. It is high time the dishonesty created at the heart of this policy is ended. How can watching the perpetrator walk free after being in prison for 50 percent or less of their sentence be considered justice?


Watch my speech on sentencing here: https://tinyurl.com/2k5y5uah


Since 2013, over 140 police stations have closed. Between January and July 2024, over 215,000 calls to 101 were aborted by the caller before being able to speak to a call handler. This is a disaster for victims and for the public.


Watch me challenge the Justice Secretary on this abysmal situation here: https://tinyurl.com/5n87p9ff


Between 2020 and 2024, crimes including dishonesty and non-sexual crimes of violence rocketed. The police force is dealing with outdated and decreasing resources. By June 2024, police officer numbers had dropped to their lowest level in 17 years.


As a result, our dedicated police officers are facing bigger workloads and higher levels of stress. I demanded the Cabinet Secretary explain her plan to make our officers’ lives easier.



I had the chance to meet with the Scottish Police Federation, it is abundantly clear police officers have had enough of the way they are treated.


In the North East, over 400 attacks took place against serving officers, including burns and stab wounds. A complete disgrace.


Read my thoughts here: https://tinyurl.com/522t8caz


There is no doubt we need new prisons. However, the price tag for the replacement of HMP Barlinnie has risen tenfold, with the completion date delayed yet again. The SNP are squandering your money on a colossal scale.


Watch me highlight the SNP’s scandalous management of the project here: https://tinyurl.com/4p3kk5hz

 

 
 
 

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