LIBDEMS NAME THEIR CANDIDATES FOR HELENSBURGH AND LOMOND

By Bill Heaney

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton, pictured right,  has today kicked off his party’s election campaign pledging to bring new hope to every corner of Scotland.

But he has left out West Dunbartonshire Council, where no LIbDems will be standing, although they have a number of candidates running in Argyll and Bute, which includes Helensburgh, Cardross and Lomond North and South.

The LibDems, unlike the SNP or Labour and Conservatives, have issued a list of their candidates for Argyll and Bute:

Dunoon	Ross Moreland
Helensburgh and Lomond South	Paul Kennedy
Helensburgh Central	Graham Hardie
Isle of Bute	Derek McFarlane
Kintyre and the Islands	Robin Currie
Lomond North	Nigel Miller
Mid Argyll	David Barton
Oban North and Lorn	Veronica Davis
Oban South and the Isles	Henry Boswell
South Kintyre	Rory Colville

The party is standing 266 candidates, its highest number since 2007. This means that 280,000 more people in Scotland will be able to vote for a Liberal Democrat than in 2017.

Alex Cole-Hamilton said:  “This election is a big opportunity for our party. With the highest number of Liberal Democrats standing since 2007, this is a moment for regrowth and renewal.

“After everything we’ve been through, Scotland needs new hope right now. At the coming council elections, you’ll only find that hope with the Scottish Liberal Democrats.

“The SNP have been in power for 15 years, starving councils of funds and cutting back on local services. From the capital to the Highlands, it’s time to send them a message that it’s time for a change.

“After two years of pandemic and with people facing the biggest hit to household budgets in a generation, communities need councillors who will work hard for them all year round.

“Over the next five weeks I will be making the case for cutting rail fares, properly funding local government and insulating every home in Scotland to protect people from the cost-of-living crisis and the climate emergency.”

ENDS