SNP win Hamilton West and Earnock By-election

Dec 15 2011 Hamilton Advertiser

SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY supporters were celebrating last Thursday after winning the Hamilton West and Earnock by-election.

Nats candidate John Menzies won the poll brought about by the death last month of independent councillor Tommy Gilligan.

It was a result that gave the SNP a South Lanarkshire Council seat that, before councillor Gilligan’s victory in 2003, had been held by Labour.

On a day when winds of up to 80mph swept across Central Scotland, only 1027 went along to the polling station to cast their votes.

And with only a total of 1659 votes to count – 632 of them postal votes – the result was announced 55 minutes after polling stations had closed.

John Menzies attracted 822 votes ahead of Labour’s Stuart Gallacher, with 607, and Scottish Conservative Connar McBain on 214.

Turnout in the ward of 14,068 voters was 11.79 per cent.

Councillor Menzies, a 43-year-old senior crisis practioner with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said: “I am extremely humbled and proud to have been elected.

“Tommy Gilligan was a councillor who had gained the respect of those he represented because of the effort, dedication and work he carried out over many years.

“I now need to work very hard to continue to provide support and hopefully, through time, be able to build the respect and trust that local people had for Tommy.”

SNP MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse Christina McKelvie commented: “John has fought a hard campaign and I know he will be an excellent councillor. Today was not the weather for a by-election and full credit goes to all those who made it to the polling stations to vote and who worked hard to ensure the by-election went ahead.”

Mr Gallacher (53), who runs an IT business, was disappointed with the result and added: “It was a difficult campaign that took place in dark wintry days with snow and rain, and then it was very nearly a hurricane on polling day. We got our message out but at the end of the day John was the deserved winner.”

Council leader Eddie McAvoy said the low turnout made it difficult to use the outcome of the by-election to predict the result of the council elections in May next year.

He added: “People do enough complaining about the council and so I would like to have seen a higher percentage of people coming out and taking an interest in a local government election.”

Hamilton South Conservative councillor John Murray said: “Given the horrendous conditions, you cannot blame people for not wanting to go out and vote.

“The fact is the SNP managed to get their vote out. They were going around at 9pm on polling day asking people if they wanted a lift to the polling station. So for effort in doing the extraordinary, they just about deserved it.”

l As with the last council elections, the vote was run using the proportional representation system. Winning candidates require 50 per cent plus one of valid votes cast.