The Western Isles SNP has announced their candidate to contest the by-election for Sgir’ Uige agus Ceann a Tuath nan Loch, which became necessary following the sad death of Councillor Bill Houston.
John Norman MacDonald’s (Orica) family comes from the ward and he maintains strong family ties with Lochs and Great Bernera.
John said: “I am proud to be standing for the ward and if I am elected I will make it my priority to ensure free school bus travel for our children is reinstated, so they are safe as they travel to and from school and fight to save the schools in the ward from closure.
“I am also determined to keep specialist teachers in our schools and to campaign for fair fuel prices for the islands.”
So he is anti what Manford & Sons voted for in 2011.
If he wins how will he change the decision?
The good people of Tuath nan Loch will not be fooled.
Vote Les
Maybe Orica should go back to school and learn how to become a councillor!
Nice to see the Labour Rabble are still alive.
I live in the ward and know that it hasn’t gone down well that an ‘outsider’ who failed to get in as a councillor in May is desperately seeking to be elected anywhere, at any cost!
It was the people of Lochs who unfortunately lost their councillor a few weeks ago, therefore it should be a choice between Angus Morrison and Les MacNulty.
I would think it should be down to a choice of who was going to work the hardest for the ward and that does not automatically mean that it is someone local. It is not a prize which is being awarded, the hard work starts after the election. One thing which the ward does not need is another Labour type person who is only going to go with the flow. There is enough of those type as it is. The last thing which is needed is to vote with a closed mind.
Im sorry open minded but I wouldn’t say councillor MacRae “goes with the flow” ! But I do agree about keeping an open mind.
I didn’t say all of them went with the flow, but too many do. Mr Macrae does what he thinks is right for his ward which can only be good.
Well if Orica doesn’t win at this election he has damaged his chances of standing as a candidate in his own area in Point in 2016?, the people of Point will no doubt remember that this is a man is a “rent a candidate ” for the SNP and the only thing he can do is tow the party line….
its a shame really for both Orica and the People of Lochs as he must of drawn a short straw at their last SNP meeting…the Lochs SNP supporters would of probably given Annie another chance…
I mention SNP supporters as i have seen the SNP candidates go round with a piece of paper with information they have collected over the years as the ones likely to vote for the SNP and will ONLY Knock on their doors rather than everyone else, like any other candidate…So any SNP candidate or councillors is in actual fact representing a fraction of the ward they are meant to…
The SNP will no doubt have the “heavyweight” spin merchants out for this election!
To become a councillor the candidate has to have done the groundwork in the community prior to standing. To my knowledge John MacDonald has never attended a community council meeting in Carloway, Breasclete, Uig or Lochs. He has never been involved in community activities or events in these areas. He is simply hoping that people will vote for the party and not the candidate. I am amazed and dissapointed that the SNP did not select a candidate living within the ward boundaries.
I can remember working with Annie Macdonald around the ward she was a good councillor but those of us looking for a replacement for Bill will not be happy with someone not prepared to put the work in. I am quietly impressed by Les he was very supportive during the trouble in Tomair a couple of years ago.
I’m not surprised people like Kevin Paterson a Labour member or should I say the New Tory Party is reluctant to promote Orica. Attending previous local meetings will not make someone a good councillor. What will make a good councillor is someone who is willing to work hard and fight for the ward.
Not just for the ward the cuts that are coming are going to hurt the whole of the Western Isles from the Butt to Barra. I think the one thing I said was that replacing Bill will be difficult I think the work he put in was incredible given his health. If you say Orica will do the same then excellent I only said that I was quite impressed with Les I never once said anything about anybody else. Keep the vitriol coming though wouldn’t want that bitterness drying up now. I look forward to meeting the candidates oh and I have never hidden my Labour Party connections or my membership of CND or Amnesty International or the Tufty Club (showing my age here) but I would never write somebody off just because of their political leanings. The coming storm of welfare reform and a capital spending drought will make being a councillor who is approachable and accountable more important than where he lives.
The last thing which is needed is another Labour person standing as an independent. We have enough of these people on the current council who are more committed to Labour strategies than the needs of the people. As I have said previously, the new councillor should be the person who will work hardest for the ward.
Personally I am not a member of any party. The local Labour Party have turnned me from being pro Labour to anti Labour through their bitterness, arrogance, deceiptfulness and taking my vote for granted. I feel the Labour Party no longer represents the fundemental reasons why the working class should vote Labour.
Open Minded is there a Labour candidate even an independent one? I canvassed Les at the last two (’10 and’11) elections and he left me in no doubt that he was not Labour.
The bitterness you hold to the party is probably well founded but you don’t change things by running away. I like to think that I never take anything for granted especially people’s votes. I think that the parties (and I mean all) are too full of professional politicians who have removed themselves from real activism and real campaigning and from real people with real issues, and that is really sad. I hope that you get what you want a hard working councillor who will stand up for those whose voice is not heard. I say that because many don’t they deal with the issues brought to them and don’t go looking for those who need help but can’t or won’t ask. The silent majority who suffer hardship because they don’t know who to turn to. I have always thought that as a tenant rep or as an activist it is important to know the signposts, know what help is available and where. That is probably Oricas best strength.
I reckon another intellectual giant in the Comhairle would go down a storm.Could save a fortune supplying crayons instead of i-pads.
Kevin I am not saying people should vote for Orica, what I’m saying is that he should not be dismissed because he does not live locally. I’m not bitter towards Labour, my experience of them tells that I don’t want anything to do with them. The members conduct has been anything but professional over the past 20 years.. ~I find your political values totally at odds with your party. New Labour are just as rightwing as the Conservatives. ~I believe in socialist policies which Labour has long since abandoned. Sociialist has become a dirty word within your party. As far as walking away, it is not my job to f their direction. The SNP have filled the socialist void.
Open minded maybe it’s a case of a scramble for the centre ground. My views coincide with many in the party and doesn’t with many more. I have often thought that the weakness of the Tories in Scotland has led to many of them taking up the red card out of desperation to “get on” in politics. Would you agree with that?
Kevin there is something in which you say about the Tories but it does not take the lurch to the right by Labour. If you look at Miliband and Cameron there is little between their political outlooks or values. Thatcher created the high longterm unemployed. Both Cameron and Miliband want to punish them for not working. The down side to this is we will always have mass unemployment while we have these tory values. One of the reasons for creating mass unemployment was to keep inflation down and keep wages to the minimum. The Labour party subscribe to this right wing policy.
What worries me is what will happen to the SNP once independence is achieved. I see myself, along with the majority of its members as being on the right of the party, but the leadership appear to be advocating policies that pleases their ‘Left-wing central belt’ base. The party doesn’t appear to have a plan post the referendum. It will have to cease to exist, but as what?
There are already 2 left wing parties in Scotland and the Tories are just about finnished. I would like to know from ‘open minded’ what will become of the snp?
Any hope the Labour party had in Scotland they have thrown away by scrapping bus passes, free education etc. These policies help the working man. I fear for RET and ADS under Labour.
I still support the union, not because of logic but because of the emotional ties. Will that be strong enough come the referendum, I don’t know. I find Johann Lamont off puting, she’s pretty thick and out of touch. A mouth piece for London.
I think the SNP know where they are going. I’m not sure any of the UK parties have made any provision if it is a yes vote. James the Labour Party have some extreme right wing views if the Tory party don’t suit. Kevin may well disagree.