Three former councillors are bidding for a return to the chamber in December’s by-election in the Broxburn, Uphall and Winchburgh ward.
The SNP candidate Tom Ullathorne joins Labour’s Tony Boyle and Chris Horne, standing as an Independent.
A field of eight has been named for the by-election caused by the death of Labour’s Ann Davidson in September.
Mr Ullathorne served as a councillor for the last six months of the last administration after winning the seat formerly held by Labour’s Dave King in East Livingston and East Calder.
Mr Horne was elected as a Conservative councillor in the Broxburn ward in 2017 and Mr Boyle served as a Labour councillor in the ward in the pre 2017 administration.
It is a seat both Labour and the SNP are keen to win. A win for the SNP would give them three out of four councillors in the ward and take the strength of the group, currently in opposition in the council chamber, to 16.
The SNP bid is not clear cut. Joining the field is Alex Salmond’s breakaway Alba party, which has fielded candidates in by-elections in the last administration as well as in the May council election.
Also standing are the Scottish Conservatives, Scottish Greens and Liberal Democrats, as well as another independent.
Councillor Davidson, who took ill shortly after her election never managed to attend the first full meeting in person of the new council. In the May poll Mrs Davidson polled 19% of the First Preference votes second only to long serving SNP councillor Diane Calder.
Labour had won a seat in the ward in 2017 with Angela Doran. She later joined the Conservative ranks and retained her seat- as a Conservative- in May.
The Labour administration currently only 11 strong has the support of the four remaining Tory councillors, the Lib Dem and the Independent.
The ward will probably see the biggest change of anywhere in a rapidly changing council area in the next five years as Winchburgh grows from a village of around 2,000 to a small town of 12,000, with motorway connections and,controversially, a long promised railway station.
One of the most contentious issues in the ward has been a dispute over whether Winchburgh should have its own purpose built Partnership.The SNP and community groups have long campaigned for what they say are broken promises by the council.
The Labour administration has argued that the Partnership is exactly that - a building which will be occupied by the local NHS and Council. Initially Police Scotland would have been part of the new partnership but it has pulled out.
Now the council argues that it has invested £60m in new schools in the area and these facilities including sports centres can be used by the wider community. Winchburgh has a new non denominational high school Winchburgh Academy and the new Catholic High School Sinclair Academy and Catholic primary.
Another huge housing development will alter the largely rural nature of the ward. In the west the village of Dechmont will soon be joined by more than 1,000 new homes on the site of the old Bangour Hospital. Both the Bangour and Winchburgh developments are placing huge demands on road and rail infrastructure.
Other issues in the ward councillors have also grappled with include anti social behaviour in the ward and from the use of off road motorcycles on Broxburn and Greendykes bing.
Voting will take place between 7 am and 10 pm on Thursday 1 December 2022.Applications to vote by post at this election must reach the Electoral Registration Officer by 5 pm on Tuesday 15 November 2022. Applications to amend or cancel existing postal vote arrangements must reach the Electoral Registration Officer by 5 pm on Tuesday 15 November 2022.
The full list of candidates is:
Tony Boyle, Scottish Labour.
Peter John Clarke, Scottish Liberal Democrats.
Chris Cotter, Scottish Greens.
Debbie Ewen, Alba Party for Independence.
Chris Horne, Independent.
Steven Robert Laidlaw, Independent.
Douglas Smith, Scottish Conservative and Unionist.
Thomas George Ullathorne, SNP
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