Dadaism – Ronnie McColl, left, and son Cllr Jonathan McColl, a controversial figure in local politics.
By Bill Heaney
Jonathan McColl, who is struggling to hold on to a majority for the SNP in West Dunbartonshire Council, has brought in his father to stand for election in the Vale of Leven.
Ronnie McColl, who has been working as a barman and driving instructor, lost his seat ten years ago when he too led the local authority.
Nepotism in politics usually involves sons taking over from their fathers, but this is the first case of Dadaism in Dunbartonshire, and its acceptance will be tested when the community goes to the polls on May 5.
SNP member Ronnie, father of current council leader Jonathan McColl, served on West Dunbartonshire Council for 13 years until losing his seat in the 2012 election.
After a decade away from frontline politics the former depute provost said he believes now is the right time to target a return to serving on the local authority.
Ronnie told the Lennox Herald this week: “I have lived and worked in the Vale almost all my life, and I care passionately about the area and the communities within it.
“I served as a councillor for 13 years in the 1990s and 2000s and filled various roles within the council, including social work and housing convener and council leader, as well as twice being Scottish spokesperson for social work.
“I feel now is the time to get back involved and serve my community once again. I have a proven track record of working well with colleagues of different political persuasions, as we must do to improve life for those we represent.”
He will be joined in standing in the Leven ward by current councillor Ian Dickson, with council leader Jonathan McColl once again standing in Lomond.
Caroline McAllister, right, the self-styled women’s champion on the council, will not be standing in the Leven Ward. She left the SNP and switched to Alex Salmond’s Alba party when she was jettisoned as the prospective SNP candidate to take on Labour’s Jackie Baillie at next year’s Scottish Parliament election.
The SNP have never commented publicly on why this happened, but it is believed that Cllr McAllister’s views were contrary to their own on matters such as trans gender people being allowed to choose their own identity and mix with women in toilets and other “women only” spaces.
Jonathan McColl refuses to speak to The Democrat and had publicly smeared the editor.
However he told journalist Fraser Clarke, of the Lennox Herald: “I gave a commitment in 2017 that I would seek nomination to the health board with a view to putting the Vale of Leven Hospital front and centre, so I am incredibly proud that my service on NHSGGC Health Board over the past five years has seen the future of the Vale of Leven Hospital secured, with new services brought to the hospital and a public commitment from the First Minister to invest in the fabric of the building to bring it up to the modern standard our citizens need.
“No longer is our hospital an afterthought; the Vale of Leven Hospital now sits at the heart of the health board’s plans for delivering services to the people of Alexandria, Dumbarton and beyond.”
Jonathan McColl was roundly criticised by Jackie Baillie about his role on the health board which has been the subject of national criticism for its failure to deal with infections which have led to a number of deaths at the new £1 billion Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and the Royal Children’s Hospital, both of which deal with patients from West Dunbartonshire and Argyll and Bute.
Pulled up by the MSP for his attendance record at health board meetings, Jonathan McColl said he had prioritised dealing with correspondence from members of the electorate in his Lomond seat, where there was also widespread criticism over the proposals to grant planning permission to Flamingoland to move into Balloch and traffic disruption in the weeks up to Christmas.
Local people are furious that a number of services at the Vale have been closed ad that there are no beds available for Covid patients during the pandemic.
SNP councillor Ian Dickson, who will be standing beside Ronnie McColl in the Leven Ward, said: “I have enjoyed representing the ward I live and grew up in these past five years and as part of the SNP administration, I have achieved a lot for my constituents, including delivering a new Renton school campus, getting approval for net-zero and passive build council houses in Pappert, and of course being able to deliver an unprecedented four years of no-cuts council budgets.”
The SNP were also bitterly criticised in Renton for their proposal to close St Martin’s Primary School and to move children from the village to St Mary’s in Alexandria.
And they met stern opposition to impose budget cuts which involved abandoning grass cutting and maintenance of of cemeteries and open spaces across West Dunbartonshire.