Nominations have closed for next month’s North Lanarkshire Council election, with a total of 142 candidates standing for the 77 posts at the Civic Centre.
The SNP is fielding 43 candidates and Labour has 42, while the Conservatives are similarly on the ballot paper in all 21 wards across the authority.
Also seeking residents’ votes on May 5 are seven independent candidates, seven from the Green party, six Alba representatives, five from the Scottish Family Party, three Liberal Democrats, two from UKIP and one each from British Unionists, Freedom Alliance, Independence for Scotland, Social Democratic and Scottish Socialist parties.
Jim Logue, the leader of the council for the past six years, is bidding for re-election in Airdrie Central and will become the only member of the first North Lanarkshire assembly from its 1995 creation to remain in office if returned next month.
The SNP group is led by Bellshill councillor Jordan Linden, who says his group is “an administration in waiting” as they aim to take control of the council for the first time in its history; while the Conservative party is led into the 2022 election by Airdrie North representative Sandy Watson.
Each ward in North Lanarkshire will return either three or four councillors, chosen under the single transferable vote system, with the most-contested areas being Coatbridge North and Cumbernauld South with nine candidates each – compared to Airdrie South where there are just five candidates for four seats.
Five former councillors are among those bidding to return to the Civic Centre next month, including former provost Barry McCulloch, who is standing in Cumbernauld East, and Labour colleague Michael Ross in Motherwell South-East & Ravenscraig.
They are joined by two former SNP elected members now standing under different banners – Willie Homer of the Scottish Socialists in Cumbernauld South and Independence for Scotland candidate Julie McAnulty in Coatbridge North – plus Murdostoun Conservative candidate Linsey McKay, who was the party’s first-ever North Lanarkshire councillor when she was returned in 2007.
Meanwhile, two councillors are aiming to move to different wards, with Labour member Peter Kelly switching from Fortissat to Airdrie South, and David Baird of Alba bidding for election in Bellshill rather than his current Mossend & Holytown seat.
Nearly a third of North Lanarkshire’s current members are not standing for re-election, with 24 stepping down from their roles – including depute provost Tom Castles in Coatbridge West and respective finance and enterprise conveners Bob Burrows and Allan Graham.
Also standing down from the administration Labour group are founding council member Harry Curran, Fortissat representative Claire Quigley and Motherwell councillors Olivia Carson and Pat O’Rourke.
Former SNP group leader David Stocks is retiring and Airdrie Central party colleague Nancy Pettigrew is also stepping down, along with Junaid Ashraf in Cumbernauld South, Caroline Stephen in Coatbridge West and Motherwell trio Alan and Annette Valentine and Ann Weir.
Conservative councillors David Cullen in Airdrie North and Calum Currie in Cumbernauld North are standing down due to work commitments, while former group leader Meghan Gallacher ends her council term following her election to Holyrood.
Independent member Tommy Morgan, the long-serving former Labour representative in Plains and later Airdrie North, is stepping down after more than 35 years as a councillor on North Lanarkshire and predecessor Monklands District Council.
Also not appearing on the ballot papers this time around are independents Willie Doolan, Gillian Fannan, Angela Feeney, Stephen Goldsack and Mark Kerr, and Lynne Anderson of the Alba party.
North Lanarkshire residents – including young people aged 16 and 17 – have until midnight on April 18 to register to vote in the council poll on Thursday, May 5 at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote, using their national insurance number, date of birth and address.
Voters then have until 5pm on April 19 to apply for new postal votes, postal proxy votes or to amend or cancel existing postal and proxy votes; while the deadline for proxy vote applications is 5pm on April 26. Information is available at www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter
Returning officer Des Murray said: “It’s important that everyone who is eligible is able to use their vote in the council elections and make their voice heard.
“I would encourage residents to take a few minutes to make sure they’re registered by April 18 – it’s quick and easy to do online.”
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