Well, unless there are any last minute changes or anyone withdrawing at the last minute (ooh err missus) the line up for the election in Dundee West looks like:

Liberal Democrats – John Barnett
SNP – Jim Barrie
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition – Jim McFarlane
Labour – Jim McGovern
BNP – Ian Murphy
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party – Colin Stewart

What is most apparent from first glance is that it is an all male list, in Dundee East there are 3 female candidates out of 6 candidates. Given the make up of the local elections where the SSP was the only party to approach any kind of gender balance it is unsurprising.

So the choices:

Liberal Democrats – John Barnett

Lib Dems must be on a bit of a bounce following the leadership debate. I have had two pieces of material so far, both of them having their fantasy land graphics they use everywhere misleading the public over the voting results/opinion polls. Expect the next ones to use the result of the polls of those who watched the leadership debate.

Lib dem 50% (top of graph) Labour and Tories 25% each (sitting at 2% on graph) – it’s a one horse race only Lib Dems can win here. I wouldn’t put it past them.

SNP – Jim Barrie

Jim is a councillor in the West End so should he win there should be a by-election in the ward in the near future. I wrote to him 2 days ago about the Digital Economy Bill and have yet to have a reply.

Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition – Jim McFarlane

Jim has previously stood for the SSP in the seat. Really involved in Unison.

Labour – Jim McGovern

Spent some time on the payroll vote. Caught up in expenses scandal which left him looking really out of touch. Didn’t get back to me over Digital Economy Bill and then sent misleading information. Probably knows he’s out of a job on May 7th.

BNP – Ian Murphy

First fascist arsehole to stand in the seat. Let’s hope he gets bit by a dog should he make the trek from Southern Scotland up to the constituency. Looks like they failed to put in their form in time if they ever intended to- yay! The Facebook group opposed to them standing in Dundee West had over a thousand members.

Conservative – Colin Stewart

Yet another product of the Conservative making factory at Dundee Uni.

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He claims to have a long list of reasons for resigning but only reveals one:

I have been trying to persuade my ex-colleagues for nearly two years to recognise the fact that, in the interests of the city and fair play, Dundee City Council committee conveners should be compiled from all parties

Mr Letford said that was more than self-evident when the SNP, as the largest single party on the council with 13 members, had been excluded from any role in the administration. The situation had been made worse since the SNP increased to 14 members—almost half the 29-member council— by winning the Maryfield by-election earlier this month.

It is ludicrous to believe all the political talent required to run a city is only available in the administration and exclude half of the councillors

My pleas fell on deaf ears and, because of that and other serious differences, I felt I could no longer stay a member of the administration and the Labour group.

This afternoon was Labour’s chance to throw some mud. Jim McGovern implied that he was only interested in keeping his allowance as Lord Provost and that he no longer has principles. Clearly he missed Labour trying to form an even wider alliance of everyone but the SNP in an effort to keep their convenership allowances. That doesn’t mean his charge isn’t true, just a bit short sighted.

Kevin Keenan was next in a bizarre move claiming that Labour intend to nominate an SNP councillor,Liz Fordyce, for Depute Lord Provost. Liz Fordyce laughed off the proposal – showing it to be well thought out.

Ernie Ross was wheeled out to prattle on, his nonsense included claiming Labour are a democratic socialist party. That would be wrong on both counts Ernie you rent a quote former MP. (Ernie once tried to defend voting for war to me in the street making the ludicrous claims that because Tony Blair repeated a lie that didn’t mean he wasn’t telling the truth)

Jill Shimi who sent her kids to a private school whilst making ludicrous claims about how great the state schools in the city are was also wheeled out alongside Chic Farquhar. Shimi said nothing of importance. Farquhar makes a decent point, that the constituents voted for a Labour candidate and Letford should resign and force a by election.

Unfortunately the Labour first preference results for the ward show Letford scoring 1385 votes, Ferguson 940 and cueball Hind trailing on 479. (Hind and Fergusons results being unexpectedly reversed following an anonymous smear campaign from sources unknown saying to vote Ferguson instead of Hind). With Letfird having 49.3% of the Labour vote and being elected on Round 3 with Ferguson on Round 9 it seems like a rearrange the deckchairs strategy from Labour.

The Evening Telegraph also confirmed the dates I couldn’t find on a quick lunchtime Google search.

Labour have run the council since 1980 and have been in charge since 1946 for all but 11 years. No doubt it’s those 11 years that all the city’s problems were created…

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One of the SNP councillors resigned as councillor and prompted a by election. The SNP won this comfortably with 48.89% of the first votes.

Earlier this year a Labour councillor resigned. At the by election the SNP again won it comfortably.

This shifted the balance to 14 SNP, 9 Labour, 3 Tory, 2 Liberal Democrat and 1 Independent. Needing 15 for a majority it seemed clear that the SNP would take power with Borthwick as kingmaker, and in this case democrat.

Today there was a shock though. John Letford, the Lord Provost and most prominent member of the Labour Party in the city resigned the Labour group and now sits as an independent.

This shifts it to 14 SNP, 8 Labour, 3 Tory, 2 Liberal Democrats and 2 Independents. The two independents being Lord Provost and Depute Lord Provost can probably show what deal is being struck.

In the course of 6 years Labour have went from largest Councillor group to being 3 behind at the election, losing 2 by elections by clear margins and a defection. A defection of their most prominent, well known, longest serving councillor? and to be fair, most well liked member in the city.

It is worth noting the thoughts of the Labour Party spokesman after the by election. He is anonymous but believed to be former Information Minister in Iraq.

We are pleased that Labour increased our share of the vote in what the SNP were convinced was a very safe council seat for them.

Coupled with recent by-election wins, it shows that the momentum is moving from away from the SNP.

Of course reality, as ever, contradicts the Labour Party.

Dundee Councillors 1995 to 2009

Jim McGovern has written a piece on his site.

In it he implies that John Letford has no principles and is only out to line his own pockets. He also mocks him for a claim he made about what was at his core – Labour and the Trade Union Movement.

Quick Quiz:
If you cut the Labour Party in two what would you find?

(Comedy Option: 2 Tory parties)

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