LABOUR has selected a former Tory candidate as among their hopefuls contesting three upcoming by elections in Glasgow.
Voters in Drumchapel/Anniesland, North East and Maryhill wards are set to select new councillors next month.
The seats became vacant after Labour councillors Patricia Ferguson and Maureen Burke became MPs at the General Election in July and Keiran O’Neill quit to take up a new job in London.
But Labour has revealed that Davena Rankin has been selected to stand in the Dumchapel Anniesland election.
Rankin was the Conservative candidate in the Glasgow East by-election in 2008, campaigning with then party leader David Cameron.
A year earlier she stood for the Tories in Cathcart for the Holyrood seat at the Scottish elections
She later joined Labour in 2011 after she said she could not support the cuts being forced on families by the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition after they took power in 2010
Ex-Labour councillor Marie Garrity has been selected to fight the Maryhill election and Mary McNab is the party’s candidate for North East.
George Redmond, leader of the Glasgow Labour Group said Glasgow needs councillors who will put their communities first and face up to the challenge people are facing.
He said: “The selection of these candidates comes at a pivotal moment for our communities.
“The SNP has repeatedly failed to manage the city effectively, leading to a decline in essential services and a loss of trust among residents. Glasgow deserves better than the complacency and neglect that have characterised the SNP's time in power.
“Marie Garity, Davena Rankin, and Mary McNab will be strong local champions, ready to fight against SNP incompetence.
“Their dedication to listening to residents and prioritising their needs sets them apart. Only Glasgow Labour can deliver the change that residents deserve, and I am confident these candidates will bring fresh ideas and a renewed sense of hope to their respective wards."
The SNP announced its candidates earlier this week.
Lorna Finn will stand for the SNP in Maryhill, Kilian Riley is the party’s candidate in North East ward and Adekemi Giwa is the representative in Drumchapel/Anniesland.
