GrantShowGrahamLeadbitter
New MP Graham Leadbitter (SNP) speaks to the Strathy at the Grantown Show
Transcript
00:00Yeah, the show's a fantastic opportunity to get out and speak to people in the local area and the farming community that come together for the shows are a really important part of our rural economy here in the Cairngorms National Park and in the wider constituency, so it's good to have that opportunity.
00:20And you're a new local MP for the area, are you taking the opportunity to meet plenty of new folk?
00:26Yeah, I don't think I've stopped speaking to folk since I came through the gate. I think even at the gate people were picking on me about something, so that opportunity to just have conversations with local people and get a greater understanding of what the issues are is really important to me.
00:46And just being accessible to the public is a really important part of an MP's job.
00:54And have there been any farming issues which have been broached with you today?
00:58There's ongoing issues with labour force, that's a bit of a hangover from Brexit, it applies to hospitality and other sectors as well, but that's an issue for folk.
01:10There is some ongoing communication challenges between the farming community here and with the National Park, but the feeling that I get today from speaking to both the National Park and the NFU is that bridges are being built there and that communication line is improving steadily, so that bodes well for the future.
01:31There's a lot more that unites people I think than divides them, and when you can get to the nub of those issues you start making progress. I'm hoping to facilitate communication where I can and if there's issues that people need me to raise in Westminster I'll absolutely be doing that.