Last night I attended an SNP event in Glasgow to launch the campaign for the council elections that will coincide with the Scottish Parliament election on 3rd May. A fantastic turnout of well over a hundred people was there to see all the council candidates introduced by Nicola Sturgeon MSP, Sandra White MSP and Councillor John Mason, the current leader of the SNP group in Glasgow.Many of my friends are standing for the SNP in these elections and I look forward to seeing them elected. At the last council elections in Glasgow (when I was actually a candidate there) the SNP managed to get around 20% plus of the vote, but only 3 out of 79 councillors, roughly 4% of the total.
This democratic defecit will now come to an end. At long last proportional representation, in the shape of the Single Transferable Vote, has been introduced for local government elections and this will mean that the days of single party rule in the Scottish central belt are over. This is a tremendous step forward for local democracy. When one party can totally dominate local political control then this rapidly turns into political fiefdoms with complacent leadership. This won't happen in the future and that can only be a good thing for our local councils.
3 comments:
It's a scandel when one political party can have nearly 90% of councillors on less than 50% of the vote.
That will all end in May though, when for the first time ever, under STV, nearly every person in Scotland will have an SNP councillor.
It will break Labours stranglehold on local authorities and government.
Hmm...you are I presume aware that Cumbernauld isn't in Glasgow City Council? Or is hanging out with the local councillors here just too much bother, with their infighting and deselections and barmy policies to 'free Cumbernauld' from North Lanarkshire?
Hi John,
I was attending the event in Glasgow as many of my friends are standing for the council there and I wanted to support them.
I am also happy "hanging out" with local SNP councillors in Cumbernauld and Kilsyth who have been absolutely superb in supporting the campaign to win the constituency for the SNP.
Cheers,
Jamie
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