The switch of Councillor Alex Dingwall from the SNP to the Liberal Democrats is a great boost for Katy Gordon’s campaign in Glasgow North (Labour majority: 3,338).
Explaining his reasons for leaving the SNP after 31 years as a member, Cllr Dingwall said:
I believe that Glasgow needs a change in how our city is run and a party that sets out a clear, credible alternative to the current Labour Administration. Regrettably over the last year it has become clear to me that the Glasgow SNP Council Group lacks both the leadership and the authority to set out an alternative vision for our city.
After 31 years of membership with the SNP the decision to leave has not been an easy one but the move away from a local to a centrally set income tax and the recent threats to take away control of schools and care for the elderly from local authorities show the SNP simply doesn’t trust its councillors, preferring instead to govern local communities by ministerial decree.
That’s why I am pleased to be joining the Liberal Democrats. I share their commitment to local government and to the core principle of keeping local decisions local.
I will continue to work constructively for my constituents and for the people of Glasgow, but now in a way which is entirely in keeping with my personal and political beliefs.
Katy Gordon’s reaction is:
I’ve known Councillor Dingwall for many years and I’m really pleased to welcome him to the party.
This is a real boost to the Liberal Democrat campaign in Glasgow North. People are fed up with Labour and Councillor Dingwall’s decision demonstrates once again that the real alternative is the Liberal Democrats.
Andrew Reeves, the party’s Deputy Director of Campaigns for Scotland, explains the electoral situation:
Alex Dingwall topped the poll in 2007 in the Maryhill/Kelvin ward and now joins fellow Liberal Democrat Councillor Mary Paris representing the people of the ward in the Westminster constituency of Glasgow North which Katy Gordon is campaigning in to become the next MP for the area.
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4 Comments
Definitely joined for the right reasons.
I do find it curious that like with New Labour, the SNP is going down the centralising road.
Why?
I can only guess that similar to Margaret Thatcher, they want to control the purse strings.
Given the SNP’s raison d’etre, surely the most pertinent question that should be asked of a defector from them to another party is “are you still in favour of independence”?
Because either he was pretending to support independence before, or he’s pretending to oppose it now. Either way I think his constituents deserve to know.
We should certainly make sure he is willing to accept the party’s adopted policy or only work to change it through constitutional means. But I had no idea that wanting an independent Scotland disqualfied one from being a Lib Dem!
Surely the liberal position is that Scotland’s status should be determined democratically by the people of Scotland.
This guy – judging by his statement – is clearly a liberal. He believes in the same individualist and devolutionist principles we do. So let him be.
We may disagree with much that the SNP say, but many of them are radicals like we’re supposed to be – fighting to change the status quo against the established order – and our voters are often interchangeable. We should be reaching out to SNP members and supporters who are fundamentally liberals and bringing them on board.
Oh I totally agree with you. I wasn’t questioning the councillor’s liberalism, but rather the Scottish Lib Dems’ rabid unionism.