The full list of candidates standing in this year’s local government elections has been published.
Voters will go to the polls on Thursday, May 5 to select who they want to represent them in the three wards covering Dumbarton and the Vale - with some new candidates joining familiar faces on the ballot paper.
West Dunbartonshire Council is currently a minority SNP administration following the defection of Councillor Caroline McAllister to Alex Salmond’s Alba Party in 2020.
Councillor McAllister is one of two local members not seeking re-election, joining SNP member for Dumbarton Iain McLaren.
In Dumbarton McLaren’s SNP colleague Karen Conaghan will join Labour’s David McBride and Conservative Brian Walker in seeking re-election.
New faces standing include Labour’s Gurpreet Singh Johal, the
brother of Dumbarton man Jagtar Singh Johal who has been
imprisoned in India without charge since 2017, and Chris Pollock of the SNP.
In Leven, long-serving Community Party member Jim Bollan will once again be standing - with the SNP’s Ian Dickson and Labour’s John Millar also aiming to retain their seats.
They are joined on the ballot by former council leader Ronnie McColl (SNP), who is targeting a return for frontline politics a decade after losing his seat, and former education convenor Michelle McGinty (Labour), who lost her seat in 2017.
In Lomond meanwhile the SNP are to stand just one candidate - council leader Jonathan McColl - with fellow members Sally Page of the Conservatives and leader of the Labour opposition Martin Rooney also standing.
They are joined by former Labour member Hazel Sorrell, who lost her seat in 2017, and Drew MacEoghainn of the Community Party.
In the Kilpatrick ward, SNP veteran Jim Finn is to step down - with Gordon and Marina Scanlon named as the party’s candidates.
They join long-serving Labour Douglas McAllister and Lawrence O’Neill on the ballot.
In Clydebank’s two wards there have been changes too.
In Clydebank Central Bailie Denis Agnew is not seeking re-election, joining Labour’s John Mooney and the SNP’s Jim Brown in leaving the council this year.
Diane Docherty, sister of West Dunbartonshire MP Martin Docherty-Hughes, will stand however.
In Clydebank Waterfront Marie McNair is stepping down, following her election as a member of the Scottish Parliament last May.
She joins Provost William Hendrie (SNP) and Labour’s Gail Casey in stepping down, with Casey’s Labour colleague Daniel Lennie the only currently elected member for the ward seeking re-election.
Residents in West Dunbartonshire have until 11.59pm on Thursday, April 14 to register to vote in the upcoming election - with registration open at gov.uk/register-to-vote.
