Cllr stepping down to take up charity role
‘Servinghasbeenaprivilege’
South Lanarkshire councillor Fiona Dryburgh will not run for re-election in the upcoming local elections in May.
The Liberal Democrat councillor, who represents East Kilbride South, announced last week that she will step down.
The party’s vice-convenor and housing convenor Paul McGarry will stand as a candidate instead.
The decision to step down as a councillor comes as she has been offered a role with a charity that deals with local children, young people and families, which will allow her to continue to work with the community.
She said: “It’s been a huge privilege to represent Whitehills, Greenhills and Lindsayfield for the past five years.
“This is the ward where I live and my whole family calls home.
“I’ve absolutely loved having the chance to stand up for our community in the council, and argue for the things we need.
“My term as your councillor comes to an end in a few short months and, although I love my role, I want to let you know that I’ve decided not to stand for re-election.”
She added: “A charity making a huge difference to the lives of local children, young people and families recently appointed me to help it continue to do great
things in the years ahead. It works together with communities to inspire people to thrive. That’s something incredibly close to my heart – and I just couldn’t turn it down.”
Ms Dryburgh was elected as councillor in 2017 and has campaigned on a range of issues including child poverty, women’s rights and anti-violence.
She has enjoyed her time serving her community and said: “I have been fortunate to meet so many incredible people and organisations
during my time as a councillor.
“I would like to thank everyone for their support.
“The community has been tremendous and I am certainly proud of all that we have achieved together over the last five years.
“While I am stepping away from politics, I’m lucky to have this new opportunity to help people and keep working with our communities.”
The upcoming election will take place on May 5 this year.