Scottish Conservatives express concerns over possible loss of Stagecoach HQ in Perth

MSPs Murdo Fraser and Liz Smith

Scottish Conservative MSPs Liz Smith and Murdo Fraser have expressed their concerns at the announcement that Stagecoach’s main headquarters (HQ) could well be moved out of Perth.

The Mid Scotland and Fife politicians were reacting to the proposed merger of Stagecoach and National Express, which will see the new HQ be based in Birmingham despite the former company being created and established in the Fair City.

Commenting, Liz Smith MSP said: “I am concerned to hear that Perth will lose its Stagecoach headquarters. Perth has a very long association with the company going back to when Sir Brian Souter and his sister, Dame Ann Gloag, set it up in 1980, so this is a major loss.

“We will be asking Stagecoach for details on how many job losses there will be in Perth as a result of the loss of its headquarters and also for information on how many staff will be employed at the proposed new customer service centre.”

And Mr Fraser added: “I will be writing to the Chief Executive of Stagecoach to seek assurances regarding possible job losses. The loss of head office jobs in Perth is really disappointing and is a huge blow for the area.

“I will also be writing to ask for clarification from Stagecoach on how many jobs and what level they will be at  the Dunkeld Road site in future. This will be a worrying time for many staff at Stagecoach.”

 

 

 

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Murdo Fraser MSP

Murdo Fraser

Murdo Fraser was born in Inverness and studied law at Aberdeen University before practicing as a solicitor in Edinburgh. In the 1999 Scottish Parliament Election, Murdo stood as the Conservative candidate for North Tayside, and fought the constituency again at the 2001 General Election. He became a Member of the Scottish Parliament in August 2001 following the resignation of the previous List Member for Mid-Scotland and Fife, and was re-elected in 2003, 2007, 2011, 2016 and 2021. Murdo was Deputy Leader of the Scottish Conservatives from November 2005 to November 2011 and has served as spokesman on Education, Health, Economy and Finance. Murdo was delighted to be re-elected in 2021 and is now Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Business, Economic Growth and Tourism. 
Liz Smith

Liz Smith

Liz Smith was first elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2007 and was re-elected in 2011, 2016 and in 2021. She is one of four Conservative Regional Members for Mid Scotland and Fife. Following her long-serving role as Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, she became Chief Whip in February 2020. Following the 2021 election, Liz took over the role of Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Economy, now serving as Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Public Administration, and chairs two cross party committees: those on Colleges and Universities, and Sport.