Perth residents, Andy Chan and Aziz Rehman have been selected as the Scottish Conservative and Unionist candidates for the byelections to be held in the City on 26 November.
Andy Chan will contest the Perth City South Ward and Aziz Rehman will stand in the Perth City North Ward.
Born and raised in Perth, Andy attended Craigie Primary School, Perth High School and Perth College UHI where he studied hospitality and tourism followed by Accountancy at Abertay University - all the time helping in the family takeaway business in Glengarry Road.
Andy is active in many local community groups and was a former Chairman of PKAVS.
Andy said, "I am delighted to have been selected for the by-election and it would be a huge privilege, alongside Cllr Audrey Coates, to represent everyone who lives here. I run my business here and I am involved in local community groups so I understand the issues that matter to us.
"Perth is a fantastic place to live and work. It's at the heart of Scotland and we need to grab every opportunity to bring jobs and prosperity to the City.
"Over the next few weeks, I will be speaking to local residents and businesses to hear your views on the issues that matter most in Perth City South."
Aziz has lived in Perthshire since 2008. Married to Rehana Farhat with two children, his son works with him in the family business running takeaways in Perth and Aberfeldy, and his daughter attends secondary school in Perth. Aziz’s career has always been in the catering sector.
Commenting following his selection Aziz said,
“My interest in politics goes back to my student days and I have always had a passion for being involved in my local community. I am currently involved with a number of local community groups in Perth and through the Covid-19 pandemic I have become even more aware of the importance of communities supporting each other and looking after those who need assistance.
“I have lots of ideas about how we can improve Perth North and the wider City. As a business person I want to see businesses in Perth flourish. We are ideally placed in the very centre of Scotland and ideally placed to attract new investment and, importantly, to do more to support the small businesses who are the lifeblood of Perth and Kinross. I am concerned about the decline of high streets across the country and it concerns me to see shops in the centre of Perth closing down as more people spend money online. We need to do more to attract businesses into the city centre.”
