Mr. Conal Smith

Driving forward. Bypass campaigners have pledged to continue the fight for an Elgin bypass: from left, Larry Easton, Pauline Taylor, Margaret Ewing and Conal Smith.
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Spokesman Mr Conal Smith said: "There are 8,000 good reasons why the fight for a bypass has got to continue,"We never expected a bypass to appear in one or two years, we expected there would be an element of delay."Mr Smith said the A96 was the main artery between Aberdeen and Inverness and an Elgin bypass would benefit the whole of Moray, not just Elgin.And while he accepted that other traffic management measures were needed, he said the bypass should remain the main focus.He expressed concern that accepting another relief road would damage the long-term aim."All the players in the bypass steering group have argued strongly for a bypass and I don't think we can walk away from that," he said.Moray MSP Margaret Ewing, who revealed she will push for a debate on the bypass in the Scottish Parliament, criticised the report.

"I would urge councillors to stick by the correct decision, " said EIS delegate Conal Smith, a teacher at Elgin Academy.

"What concerns me is that the chairman of education (Councillor Alasdair Urquhart) and the convener seem to think they have some monopoly on the vision for education in the future.

"I have to congratulate those councillors who have stuck to their guns from the start and commend those who have listened to what has been said and changed their minds, " he added.

And Mr Smith praised the community campaign which persuaded councillors to opt for two schools.

'Abandon the single school' is also the message from Moray Trades Union Council, and its press spokesman, Conal Smith, said: "I hope the councillors will realise there is little or no support for this single school.

"I have got to say to councillors, 'Look at what people are saying, and listen to what they are telling you, and look again at your so-called preferred option', " added Mr Smith, who is also a teacher at Elgin Academy.

Conal Smith, spokesman for Moray Trades Union Council, whose members co-operated with Margaret on various issues, including unemployment, fuel poverty, the oil fabrication yard, the health service and, more recently, the Elgin Bypass Campaign, said that they had always worked well with the MSP.

Mr Conal Smith, press spokesman for the trades union council, added: "This is the most positive thing we have had out of the Scottish Executive."Mr Smith said traffic management measures and a bypass were integral to an overall solution to Elgin's congestion problems, and he is pleased the minister has recognised that.