By Bill Heaney
Candidates for the by-election taking place next month in the Kilpatrick ward have been confirmed.
The winner will succeed Provost Douglas McAllister who has gone on to be West Dunbartonshire’s Member of Parliament in the House of Commons.
West Dunbartonshire residents in the Kilpatrick ward will be able to vote for their preferred candidate
for election when the polls open on Thursday 28 November.
The deadline for nominations passed on 28 October, and eight candidates have now been confirmed. They are:
Paula Baker: Scottish Greens
Dylan McAllister: Communist Party of Britain
Ewan McGinnigle: Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Andrew Joseph Muir: Scottish Family Party
Kai O’Connor: Scottish Liberal Democrats
William Rooney: Scottish Labour Party
Marina Scanlan: Scottish National Party (SNP)
David Haydn Smith: UK Reform
Voting will get underway from 7am on 28 November, with polling places remaining open until the vote closes at 10pm.
The count will take place immediately after the polls close, with a declaration as soon as possible thereafter.
Returning Officer Peter Hessett will be in charge of the OK election.
Residents are being encouraged to ensure they are registered to take part in the vote, including adhering to deadlines for applying for a postal or proxy vote.
Returning Officer Peter Hessett said: “We want West Dunbartonshire residents who reside in the Kilpatrick ward to ensure they can use their vote to have their say on who they want to represent them.
“The successful candidate elected as a Councillor will make decisions on behalf of residents about local services including roads, parks, schools and planning.
“So I’d encourage everyone in this ward to check they are registered now and if not, ensure you apply before the deadlines.
“People least likely to be registered include first time voters or those who have recently moved house.
“I would encourage anyone who is unsure whether they are on the electoral register to contact the electoral registration office on 0141 562 1200 and, if necessary, complete the forms online which will take just a few minutes.
“In addition, any resident requiring a postal or proxy vote should apply now before the deadline.”The deadline to apply to be registered ahead of the poll is the 12 November.
The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on 13 November, and for a proxy vote is 5pm on 20 November.
The by-election will use the Single Transferrable Vote (STV) system, which asks voters to mark their candidates in numerical order of preference.
According to the official publicity for the by-election, West Dunbartonshire Council serves a total of 89,000 residents and “a lively business community” in an area stretching from the banks of Loch Lomond to the shores of the Clyde.
It adds: “The region is one of great diversity and natural beauty, just half an hour from the heart of Glasgow, and includes the towns of Clydebank, Dumbarton and Alexandria.
“It has a rich past, shaped by its world-famous shipyards, and boasts many attractions, ranging from the rugged beauty of Dumbarton Rock to historic whisky warehouses.
“The Council has big ambitions to deliver first class services, grow the local economy, revitalise the region’s town centres and waterfront, and provide a modern education service for future generations.”
The election will be no shoo in for Labour since Old Kilpatrick has a tradition of electing Independent candidates, including long-time Provost David Grainger and Billy Kemp.
Should Labour lose the OK seat then that will be a clear indication to Jackie Baillie, the Dumbarton MSP, how hard she will have to fight to retain the seat she has held in the Scottish Parliament for 25 years since its inception.
Her Labour colleagues on West Dunbartonshire Council certainly haven’t done her any favours with their performance in Church Street in the past few months.
Any new councillor will have big local issues to deal with including the impact of the and funding of the planned industrial estate on the polluted Esso farm tank site at Bowling and the proposed by-pass road for the A82 between Bowling and Dumbarton.
There is a possibility that Region/City Deal money will not now be forthcoming under the new Labour government at Westminster, although West Dunbartonshire Council has promised £6 million for that.
Provost McAllister was one of the Labour councillors who resigned from the council adminstration after the party failed to have Cllr Michelle McGinty elected to the Provostship, which went to the SNPs’ Karen Murray Connaghan.