Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
‘Hurt’ as councillor resigns from SNP
Cochrane slams lack of support for regeneration
Salsburgh councillor Tommy Cochrane has resigned from the SNP and plans to represent the area as an independent – saying the party has shown a “lack of support for my plans to rejuvenate the ward”.
The Fortissat representative announced his decision this week, saying that he has spoken to Labour council leader Jim Logue about chairing a working group on improvements for the area, the possibility of a place on the planning committee and “urgent improvements to Salsburgh”.
His resignation means Labour is now the biggest single group on North Lanarkshire Council for the first time since last year’s election, with 33 members to the SNP’s 32; and Fortissat is the only one of the council’s wards not to have an SNP member.
Group leader David Stocks, the Airdrie Central representative, says he feels “extremely disappointed and let down” by the move, and called on the newly-independent member to stand down and contest a by-election to retain his seat.
Councillor Cochrane says his decision was difficult and made “with regret” but was to prioritise “my number one commitment, to my community”.
Referencing a recent planning appeal decision in the ward, he told the Advertiser: “I felt I wasn’t really getting the support from SNP members to help deliver new things for the ward and push regeneration.
“The council leader was very cordial and accommodated my demands. Being chairperson of the working group to improve the ward will enable me to drive for improvements.”
He added: “We need to build houses in Salsburgh and increase the population as it needs services but it’s just too small at the moment – doing that would make it viable to have things like some local shops and new buses.
“I wrote to the education department last August asking for a new school with Culture NL facilities to make the community more involved,but if we don’t get new houses, we don’t get a school.”
Councillor Cochrane noted that he has also spoken to Airdrie & Shotts representatives Neil Gray MP and Alex Neil MSP, and said: “Although I have resigned from the party, we have agreed to continue to work collectively for the good of Fortissat.”
Councillor Stocks said: “Tommy feels his ward was being ignored and feels he’s had a positive response from Jim Logue. This ward has been controlled by Labour for many years and they’ve had a long time to do something about it.
“He talks about chairing a working group on the Shotts area – we asked for that at the budget and it’s not in the gift of the SNP to grant who the chair will be – and planning matters are individual votes.
“I feel really hur t and disappointed that he didn’t come to speak to me. I’d call on him to resign and stand in a by-election – people there voted for an SNP candidate last year and he should give them the opportunity to vote for him as an individual.”
Council leader Logue added: “I don’t think there’s enough development to the east of the authority – there are resource gaps around Fortissat which have been highlighted by our three members and in the previous administration by Jim Robertson, the ex-provost.
“I’ve given a commitment about addressing it and we want to get more members involved as part of the approach to regeneration.
“Nothing Tommy Cochrane has raised is different from what I’ve said before and by the time he came to see me, he was at the end of the line with his decision.”