Polling day arrives for council election
Vot e r s across North Lanarkshire will go to the polls tomorrow to choose their local councillors – and determine who will run the area’s vital local services for the next five years.
A total of 142 candidates representing 13 parties or appearing as independents are seeking residents’ support when the polls open from 7am to 10pm tomorrow.
The SNP is fielding the largest number of hopefuls with 43, while Labour has 42 candidates, and the Conservatives are the third party name appearing on the ballot paper of all 21 wards.
Also represented in certain wards are the Green party, who have eight candidates; plus seven independents, six from Alba, five from the Scottish Family Party, three Liberal Democrats, two from UKIP and one each from British Unionists, Freedom Alliance, Independence for Scotland, Social Democrats and Scottish Socialists.
The leaders of the major parties contesting every ward have told how voters are focused on key factors ranging from education and housing to waste collections and leisure facilities.
Labour group leader Jim Logue, seeking re-election in Airdrie Central, said: “It’s important to remember what these elections are about and that members should be champions for local issues.
“North Lanarkshire has the fastestgrowing economy in Scotland, we’ve built more homes than anywhere else and we’re acquiring commercial properties in our town centres and transforming them into social housing.
“People are very positive about our plans to build new schools and the 1140 hours [early years] provision; we’re focused on educational attainment and positive outcomes, we’re developing apprenticeships and setting up care and construction academies.
“We’re driving up recycling, investing in facilities like Airdrie leisure centre and Strathclyde Park; we’re focused on issues like the environment, leisure, education and welfare rights, which make a difference and a positive impact on communities.”
He said of the possible election outcome: “We’ve set out to be the administration of the council and have every right to adopt that approach based on our track record. Our focus has to be on winning the election.
“We have a real mixture of youth, energy and experience and have very clear leadership and I’m confident we’ll do better than in 2017 – but it’s far too premature to consider any scenario post-May 6.”
SNP leader Jordan Linden told how his party’s largest-ever group of North Lanarkshire candidates have received a “really warm, positive reception” to their manifesto, which ranged from special uplifts and school swimming lessons to housebuilding and a citizens’ assembly.
He said: “It’s refreshing to have the focus on local issues – the snap general election overshadowed 2017 – and all the things coming up which people really care about are those which we’ve seen too and have in our manifesto, which is bursting with ideas.
“The closure of Kilbowie, grass cutting, bin collection changes are all things which people are bringing up; we’ve made other spending choices and not done any of those things. We have a real vision and this is a chance to give the council something fresh.”
He added: “The cost of living is underpinning things as people feel the squeeze and we’d want to work on local and national solutions.
“It’s our ambition to lead the local authority.
“Change is on the ballot paper and we’re asking people to go out and vote for it and give us a chance to make a difference as we have big plans.
“We’re throwing a lot of resources at our campaign and there are seats where we can see opportunity and where we were really close to having additional members elected last time.”
Conservative leader Sandy Watson said of his group: “We’re very positive and are hoping for 10-12 seats.
“People are raising issues like town centres, roads and the cost of living – which we wanted to support by rebating this year’s council tax rise.
“We’ve done a lot on fly- tipping, getting £ 300,000 spent on what is a terrible blight, and working for constituents on various issues including housing to improve people’s lives.”