Ex-MSP launches bid for council election
Former SNP man Brodie to stand as independent
A veteran politician is to stand as an independent in May’s South Ayrshire Council elections.
Chic Brodie, a former SNP MSP, will contest the Ayr East ward.
It follows his call of last week for more lone voices to enter the running at the ballot box.
Mr Brodie, 77, has been a leading critic of the current council administration on issues such as Ayr’s Station and Belleisle Hotels.
And he insists the local authority must “drop the party politics” so that a councillor’s feet can be “held to the fire”.
He said: “Our town of Ayr, and all that it can be, has been mismanaged and neglected for many years culminating over the last eight years in two very damning national Accounts Commission reports about its economic, financial and political management.
“We have also had promises and pledges that have been unfulfilled by some of our councillors.
“It is time to stop the party politicking and hand real power back to our communities.
“I certainly want to secure that for Ayr and Ayr East.
“My aim, along with other Independents I hope, will be to ensure firstly we get back to reduce the party politics and to start discussing issues and so truly empower our communities affected by those issues like road planning and housing developments.
“By doing that, we can start to recover and build back our town with a focus on small businesses and jobs.”
Mr Brodie’s colourful political career has seen him stand as a Liberal Democrat candidate at the 1992, 1997 and 2001 UK general elections.
He also stood as a Liberal Party candidate at the general elections of October 1974, 1979, 1983 and 1987.
In latter years, he represented the SNP in the Scottish Parliament for the South
Scotland region between 2011 and 2016 and established the Scotia Future Party – an alternative voice on independence.
He added: “We need the economic, financial and environmental management of our communities like Ayr East to be led in part by our young people.
“And where we bring money into our town by attracting tourists and others as being a town that is widely recognised as smart, clean and healthy. Today it isn’t.
“It requires strong management experience and expertise to ensure every penny people in Ayr pay in taxes is spent wisely and that performance management of councillors and officers will be introduced to play a big part in that.
“I want to see in Ayr East, and across Ayr, a major increase in local community engagement and empowerment where a councillor’s feet are held to the fire if performance and effort is not met and if promises or pledges made to the community are not kept.”