‘Easy decision’ as councillor quits the SNP after 44 years
Will stand for re-election as independent This has been an easy decision as the party I served for so long has changed beyond recognition Alasdair Macpherson
A high-profile local councillor has quit the SNP just days after it was announced he had been re-selected as one of their local election candidates.
Bannockburn ward councillor Alasdair Macpherson, an SNP councillor for more than 15 years and a member of the party for 44 years, submitted his resignation on Wednesday morning.
While no one reason is believed to have been behind his decision, the controversial move last year by the SNP/Labour administration to introduce collection of grey bins (general waste) and blue bins (plastic, cans and cartons) every four weeks instead of fortnightly is understood to have played a part.
He now intends to stand as an independent in the ward.
Councillor Macpherson, who chairs the council’s planning and regulation panel, said: “After 44 years as a member, I have this morning resigned from the SNP due to differences with the party at local and national level.
“This has been an easy decision as the party I served for so long has changed beyond recognition.
“I will be standing for re-election in Bannockburn ward on May 5 as an independent candidate.
“Of 151 comments I received on Facebook [after posting the news of his decision] 99 per cent of them are from constituents, all very supportive.
“The fiasco with the bins last year nearly forced me to back a move to remove the SNP/Labour coalition from power last summer, but as the move was tabled by the despicable Tories I did not support it.”
The Bannockburn ward - which also covers the Eastern Villages including Cowie, Fallin, Plean and Throsk - now looks to be one of the wards to watch at the May 5 council elections.
In 2017 Councillor Macpherson was reelected for the SNP in the ward with the most votes - 871 - along with
Labour veteran Margaret Brisley, a local councillor for over three decades, with 837 votes.
Maureen Bennison was elected for the SNP at round seven with 718 votes, just pipping Paul Henke of the Conservatives.
Councillor Bennison, however, later resigned from the SNP in August 2020 after making accusations about bullying, sexism and party in-fighting before joining Alex Salmond’s Alba Party in March 2021.
Commenting on Councillor Macpherson’s resignation from the SNP, Stirling MP Alyn Smith said: “Alasdair is a man o’independent mind and his standing as an independent nationalist is not much of a surprise.
“The SNP will of course be working hard in Bannockburn and I’m confident we’ll see a solid result for the party and for independence.”
An SNP spokesperson said yesterday (Thursday) the party still intended to field two candidates in the Bannockburn ward. The replacement candidate, who will stand along with fellow SNP candidate Brian Hambly, is yet to be announced.