Local By-elections

'It's emerged that the newly elected Moray councillor who replaced disgraced convener Eddie Aldridge could be disqualified from the authority because he is bankrupt. Peter Farquharson, who won the by-election just three weeks ago, is stepping aside while his legal position is clarified.'
North Tonight, 20 th October 2004.

Speyside (Moray) 11 th November 2004

Speyside - ward 25

Independent gain from Scottish National Party

Independent Cllr Andrina Taylor

A by-election was held in Speyside on the 11 th of November 2004 following the resignation of Scottish National Party Cllr Peter S. Farquaharson. Cllr Farquharson won the ward on the 12 th August 2004 following the resignation of jailed Independent Council Convener Eddie Aldridge.

Speyside is in the Moray Westminster parliamentary seat (held by the Scottish National Party's Angus Robertson MP) and in the Moray Scottish parliamentary seat (held by Scottish National Party Margaret Ewing MSP).

Independent gain from Scottish National Party. 11.3 % increase in Independent's vote.

Candidate	Party	Votes	%	% change
11 th November 2004 By-election Turnout 40.0 % (+ 4.3 %)
Andrina M. C. Taylor	Independent	383	37.6 %	+ 11. 3 %
David Anderson	Conservative	242	23.8 %	+ 10.8 %
Gordon T. Henderson	Independent	232	22.8 %	+ 2.7 %
Matthew Desmond	Independent	99	9.7 %	- 0.1 %
Mike Reid	Liberal Democrat	62	6.1 %	(+ 6.1 %)
Independent gain from Scottish National Party	Independent majority	141	13.8 %

Candidate	Party	Votes	%	% change
12 th August 2004 By-election Turnout 35.7 % (- 24.7 %)
Peter S. Farquharson	Scottish National Party	286	30.8 %	+ 4.0 %
Andrina M. C. Taylor	Independent	244	26.3 %	(+ 26.3 %)
Gordon T. Henderson	Independent	187	20.1 %	(+ 20.1 %)
David Anderson	Conservative	121	13.0 %	(+ 13.0 %)
Matthew Desmond	Independent	91	9.8 %	(+ 9.8 %)
Scottish National Party gain from Independent	Scottish National Party majority	42	4.5 %

Candidate	Party	Votes	%	% change
1 st May 2003 Turnout 60.0 % (- 3.4 %)
Cllr Edward Alderidge	Independent	982	73.2 %	- 4.8 %
Peter S. Farquharson	Scottish National Party	360	26.8 %	+ 4.8 %
Independent hold	Independent majority	622	46.4 %	- 9.6 %

Candidate	Party	Votes	%	% change
6 th May 1999 Turnout 63.4 % (+ 13.1 %)
Cllr Edward Alderidge	Independent	1,241	78.0 %	+ 26.4 %
Karen Braithwaite	Scottish National Party	350	22.0 %	- 22.1 %
Independent hold	Independent majority	891	56.0 %	+ 48.5

Speyside - ward 17

Candidate	Party	Votes	%
6 th April 1995 Turnout 50.2 %
Edward Alderidge	Independent	851	51.6 %
Pearl Paul	Scottish National Party	728	44.1 %
Elizabeth Cameron	Liberal Democrat	71	4.3 %
Independent win	Independent majority	123	7.5 %

Councillor forced out over 'bankruptcy'

By Frank Urquhart in the Scotsman, 2 nd September 2004

MORAY Council was at the centre of a new political controversy yesterday, following claims that the councillor who replaced the authorityÕs disgraced convener is an undischarged bankrupt.

Peter Farquharson secured the Speyside ward for the Scottish National Party at a fiercely contested by-election last month after Eddie Aldridge, who had represented the people of Speyside for 30 years, resigned from the council after being jailed for 18 months for forging an elderly womanÕs will, days before she died.

But Mr Farquharson has been forced to step aside as a councillor after senior Moray Council officials were informed that he had been declared bankrupt at a Court of Session hearing in Edinburgh five months ago.

According to court records, Mr Farquharson was sequestrated at the Court of Session on 29 April. The action was raised by the Advocate General for Scotland on behalf of the Inland Revenue, which said it was owed £26,805 by the new councillor for Speyside. Under current law, undischarged bankrupts cannot serve as councillors.

Mr Farquharson, a tenant farmer and agricultural contractor from Ballindalloch, had been due to attend his first meeting as a councillor yesterday at a meeting of the authorityÕs environmental services committee in Elgin but failed to appear in the council chamber.

He could not be contracted at his home yesterday but issued a statement through the SNP, vowing to "fight on" and claiming that, although he had been in dispute with the Inland Revenue, he was unaware that he had been declared bankrupt.

Mr Farquharson said: "I have been advised that my estate has been sequestrated and that raises questions about whether I can serve as councillor for Speyside on Moray Council.

"This news came to me as a shock as, whilst I have been in dispute with the Inland Revenue, I was not aware that steps had been taken which had led to my sequestration.

"I consulted my own lawyers, who say that this is a specialised area of law and have referred me to a lawyer with a view to resolving the dispute and recalling my sequestration. At the same time I immediately contacted the SNP and have spoken also with the chief executive of the Moray Council.

"Initial advice which I have obtained suggests that when the dispute is resolved and the order annulled, then I may be able to serve as the elected councillor for the area."

Mr Farquharson added: "I am determined to fight on to protect the democratic decision of Speyside voters."

A spokeswoman for Moray Council said in a brief statement: "An allegation has been made that a councillor is subject to a sequestration order. As the matter is currently under investigation and the allegation has not yet been confirmed, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage."

Mr Farquharson won the five-cornered by-election battle for Speyside with a 31 per cent share of the vote.

The by-election was contested by Mr Farquharson, three independents and a Conservative candidate. He polled 286 votes to secure a 42-vote majority over Andrina Taylor, one of the independents.

SNP risks seat as bankrupt councillor tries to bail himself out

By Frank Urquhart in the Scotsman, 20 th October 2004

THE second by-election bid to find a replacement for Eddie Aldridge, the disgraced former convener of Moray Council, may go ahead next month without a candidate from the victorious Scottish National Party.

Peter Farquharson secured the Speyside ward for the SNP at a fiercely contested by-election in August, after Aldridge, who had represented the ward for 30 years, resigned from the council. Aldridge had been jailed for 18 months for forging an elderly womanÕs will days before she died.

But the bid to find a replacement was plunged into fresh political controversy after it emerged that Mr Farquharson was an undischarged bankrupt and could not legally serve as a councillor.

A by-election has been called for 11 November. Yesterday afternoon, when nominations closed, it was revealed that the SNP had decided against fielding a candidate in the hope that Mr FarquharsonÕs financial problems can be sorted out and a court sequestration order lifted before the by-election date.

Five candidates - three independents, a Conservative and Liberal Democrat - have lodged nomination papers.

A spokesman for the SNP told The Scotsman last night: "The position we are taking is that there wonÕt be a by-election because the sitting councillor, Mr Farquharson, is taking all steps possible to have his situation regarding possible bankruptcy normalised prior to the date of the proposed by election."

The spokesman said it would have sent out "the wrong message" if the party fielded a substitute candidate.

Mr Farquharson was declared bankrupt at a Court of Session hearing in Edinburgh six months ago, but claims he was unaware of the situation when he stood for the council.

New Moray convener steps aside

From North Tonight, 20 th October 2005

It's emerged that the newly elected Moray councillor who replaced disgraced convener Eddie Aldridge could be disqualified from the authority because he is bankrupt. Peter Farquharson, who won the by-election just three weeks ago, is stepping aside while his legal position is clarified.

In June this year Moray council convener Eddie Aldridge brought shame to the authority when he was jailed for eighteen months for altering his elderly neighbour's will just days before she died. His replacement in the Speyside ward, Peter Farquharson was elected three weeks ago.

But today it's emerged that the SNP councillor could be disqualified from the authority because he's a bankrupt. He was sequestrated at the Court of Session in April after an action was raised by the Advocate General of Scotland on behalf of the Inland Revenue, who claimed Mr Farquharson owes them more than twenty six thousand pounds.

The sixty-four year old farmer had been due to attend his first council committee meeting today but has decided to step aside until the matter is resolved. In a statement he admitted he'd been in dispute with the Inland Revenue but had been unaware that he'd been sequestrated.

Mr Farquaharson is now consulting lawyers with a view to resolving the dispute and recalling the sequestration which would take several weeks. However, if is not annulled then he said he would step down. A council spokesman said the matter was under investigation.