Friday 7 July 2017

Unholy Alliance to be tested in North Lanarkshire.

A intriguing story drom Scotlamd as emerges as Conservative candidate who won a council seat in May has refused to take up the job, STV News has learned.
Sandy Thornton was elected to serve on North Lanarkshire Council after he won a seat in the Fortissat ward.
Following May's election, Mr Thornton has declined to sign the official paperwork needed to become a councillor.
STV News understands Mr Thornton did not attend the election count or even have his official council photograph taken.
It is believed Mr Thorton was a paper candidate and not expected to win.
A by-election will now be held on September 7. The local poll is estimated to cost taxpayers around £25,000.
Fortissat - 4 seats
PartyCandidate % 1st PrefCount 1Count 2Count 3Count 4Count 5Count 6
LabourMartin McCulloch29.291,477     
SNPThomas Cochrane (incumbent)20.151,016     
ConservativeSandy Thornton13.296706786786919481,121
A Better Britain – Unionist PartyJeffrey McDonald11.08559574574591  
IndependentCharlie Cefferty (incumbent)10.09509527527661754 
SNPMags Murphy8.9449469475   
LabourKenneth Stevenson7.23637157158068911,117
Electorate: 12,051   Valid: 5,043   Spoilt: 139   Quota: 1,009   Turnout: 5,182 (43.0%)


    The Council seems to be a prime example of the Unholy Unionist Alliamce  between the Lanour Party and the Tories as the election saw the Scottish National Party overtake Labour as the largest party on the council. Despite victory for the SNP, North Lanarkshire is now a Labour/Tory council, after Labour leader Jim Logue was appointed Leader of the Council with the support of the ten-strong Conservative group, at the first meeting on 18 May after a deal between the two parties, which saw the Tory leader appointed as convener of the Audit & Scrutiny committee


    So although it is difficult to predict a Byelection  which is based on a Multi member seat elected by the Single Transferable Vote (STV). Given the fact that the lead Labour Candidate was welll ahead on the First Preference vote (on a generally bad night for the party) this should see a Labour win.

    Will the Tories put up another paper candidate?  what will the reaction of the electors particularity Labour voters be to Labour 's alliance with the Tories?

    This may well see a Unionist/Nationalist battle in which the Unholy Aliance  will be exposed for what it is.

    Indeed we may well see the future of Scottish Politics laid bare, where this leaves Labour in Scotland , will be interesting , How are the Corbyn supporters going to explain that their Scottish Branch are in the pockets of Ruth Davidson's Scottish Tories?


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