 | 'Margaret was recognised as a very hard-working councillor for Kildrum and Park. I myself was elected three times as councillor for the Kildrum area and I worked hard for the residents. I would strive to continue the good service given by Margaret Murray to the people of Kildrum and Park if elected.' Tom Johnston, 26 th May 2005. |  |
A by-election was held in Kildrum & Park on the 16 th of June 2005 following the death of Independent Scottish Nationalist Cllr Margaret Murray. Cllr Margaret Murray was elected as an SNP councillor in May 2003 but she and her husband Cllr Gordon Murray resigned from the SNP group shortly after to sit as independents.
Kildrum & Park is in the Cumbernauld, Kilsyth & Kirkintilloch East Westminster parliamentary seat (held by Labour's Rosemary McKenna MP) and in the Cumbernauld & Kilsyth Scottish parliamentary seat (held by Labour's Cathie Cragie MSP).
Scottish National Party gain from Independent Scottish Nationalist. 2.6 % increase in Scottish National Party vote.
| 16 th June 2005 By-election Turnout 45.6 % (- 4.4 %) | |||||
| Candidate | Logo | Party | Votes | % | % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Johnston |  |
Scottish National Party | 870 | 58.8 % | + 2.6 % |
| Stephen Grant |  |
Labour | 445 | 30.1 % | - 3.8 % |
| Andrew Locke |  |
Scottish Socialist Party | 59 | 4.0 % | - 5.9 % |
| Robert Kelso |  |
Independent | 55 | 3.7 % | (+ 3.7 %) |
| Pamela Wilson |  |
Liberal Democrat | 37 | 2.5 % | (+ 2.5 %) |
| Mark Nolan |  |
Conservative | 12 | 0.8 % | (+ 0.8 %) |
| Scottish National Party gain from Independent | |
Scottish National Party majority | 425 | 28.7 % | + 6.4 % |
| 1 st May 2003 Turnout 51.0 % | |||||
| Candidate | Logo | Party | Votes | % | % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cllr Margaret Murray | |
Scottish National Party | 974 | 56.2 % | + 6.6 % |
| Allan Graham | |
Labour | 587 | 33.9 % | - 6.8 % |
| Andrew Locke | |
Scotish Socialist Party | 171 | 9.9 % | + 5.4 % |
| Scottish National Party hold | |
Scottish National Party majority | 387 | 22.3 % | + 13.4 % |
| 6 th May 1999 Turnout % ( %) | |||||
| Candidate | Logo | Party | Votes | % | % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cllr Margaret Murray | |
Scottish National Party | 1,197 | 49.6 % | % |
| Allan Graham | |
Labour | 981 | 40.7 % | % |
| Charles Conlon | |
Liberal Democrat | 126 | 5.2 % | % |
| Andrew Locke | |
Scotish Socialist Party | 108 | 4.5 % | % |
| Scottish National Party hold | |
Scottish National Party majority | 216 | 8.9 % | % |
| 3 rd December 2005 By-election following the death of Cllr Douglas Gilchrist Turnout 44.7 % (- 14.5 %) | |||||
| Candidate | Logo | Party | Votes | % | % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Margart Murray | |
Scottish National Party | 849 | 57.6 % | + 15.1 % |
| Allan Graham | |
Labour | 478 | 30.1 % | - 3.8 % |
| Kevin McVey | |
Scotish Socialist Party | 77 | 5.2 % | (+ 5.2 %) |
| Charles Conlon | |
Liberal Democrat | 44 | 3.0 % | (+ 3.0 %) |
| William Gibson | |
Conservative | 25 | 1.7 % | - 0.9 % |
| Scottish National Party gain from Labour | |
Scottish National Party majority | 371 | 25.2 % | |
| 6 th April 1995 Turnout 59.2 % | |||||
| Candidate | Logo | Party | Votes | % | % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas Gilchrist | |
Labour | 1,048 | 54.9 % | |
| John McIntosh | |
Scottish National Party | 812 | 42.5 % | |
| William Monro | |
Conservative | 50 | 2.6 % | |
| Labour win | |
Labour majority | 236 | 12.4 % | |
A BY-ELECTION will be held on June 16 to find a new representative for the Kildrum and Park Ward following the death of Councillor Margaret Murray.
The race to replace the high-profile councillor who stood for the Scottish National Party before internal wrangling prompted her to declare herself an independent is now on - and voters will cast their ballot papers in what marks a historic first in North Lanarkshire Council polls.
Voters will have the option of voting by post in a bid to introduce the flexibility in council voting procedures that has only previously existed in General and Scottish Parliament elections. Voters are now expected to have received a set of guidelines which will help them determine the most convenient way of voting - but these also stress that there are procedures in place to prevent abuse of the new system.
This comes in the wake of allegations of electoral fraud by post at a recent by-election in Birmingham.
Head of central services John Fleming explained: "We are now advising voters of the right to apply for a postal vote and enclosing an application form and pre-paid response envelope.
"The reason we are writing to electors in the ward is to allow those who have not voted by post before the opportunity to do so for the first time. If they choose not to vote by post, they need not take any action and vote, in person, at Kildrum Primary School.
"If however, anyone applies to vote and a voting paper is sent to them, that will be the only way they can vote at this election. They will NOT be able to vote at the polling station even though they have a poll card,'' he said.
By the time the News and Chronicle had gone to press four candidates had been declared. Nomin-ations were due to close at 4pm on Tuesday.
One of them is Tom Johnston who was councillor for Kildrum on the former Cumbernauld and Kilsyth District Council.
He was prevented from continuing to represent that ward following the creation of NLC. As a then employee of the authority he could not also be an elected member of it.
Now retired as principal teacher of history at Cumbernauld High School Mr Johnston has made headlines locally in the last few months following his high-profile objection to a housing development in land adjacent to Cumbernauld House.
He said: "This by-election has been called in the saddest of circumstances. I knew Councillor Margaret Murray not only as a political colleague but also as a close family friend.
"Margaret was recognised as a very hard-working councillor for Kildrum and Park. I myself was elected three times as councillor for the Kildrum area and I worked hard for the residents. I would strive to continue the good service given by Margaret Murray to the people of Kildrum and Park if elected,'' said Mr Johnston.
Meanwhile, Labour have also opted for another ex-councillor. Stephen Grant lost Carbrain West and Greenfaulds to the SNP two years ago.
His agent Allan Graham said: "Stephen is a local man having lived in Kildrum nearly all his life. As a former councillor and vice convener of housing, Stephen has the necessary experience to deliver positive and effective representation for the area.''
Pamela Wilson is standing for the Liberal Democrats and at 26 is the youngest candidate.
A psychiatric nurse at Gartnavel Royal Hospital, Miss Wilson says that the present political climate means that she could make an impact on June 16.
"I wanted the people of Kildrum to have a Liberal Democrat standing in the competition because we did so well in the general election,'' said Miss Wilson of Glenhove Road.
Kildrum man Andy Locke, the Scottish Socialist Party candidate, contested the seat at the last council elections. He is a social worker who now works for the charity Shelter.
SSP organiser Kevin McVey said he would be an asset to the ward.
"Andy has a history of campaigning both at national and local level for the SSP and is well placed to fight this seat in Kildrum,'' he said.
A GROUNDBREAKING by-election will take place in Cumbernauld's Kildrum and Park ward tomorrow (Thursday) - as residents choose a new councillor following the recent death of Margaret Murray.
The contest is the first ever by-election to take place within North Lanarkshire which has given voters the option to cast their ballots by post - and the News and Chronicle understands that more than 300 postal votes had been sent out to the electorate.
Tight security procedures will swing into place to prevent election fraud - and anyone who intends to cast a vote at the polling station who has already voted by post will NOT be issued with a ballot paper.
The late councillor Murray represented the area on behalf of the Scottish National Party - before a split at local party level resulted in the councillor making her own declaration of independence at the 2003 elections.
Observers of the local political scene will be watching the competition closely in a bid to ascertain just where the political barometer is swinging in Cumbernauld a month after local voters returned Scottish Labour MP Rosemary McKenna to the House of Commons.
Kildrum Primary is the venue for the election. Polls will open at 8am and close at 9pm.
The News and Chronicle understands that staff from the council's Election Office will deliver the completed postal ballot papers to Motherwell Civic Centre at 2pm and that the candidates have been invited to view this process in the interests of transparency.
Those candidates are as follows: Stephen Grant (Scottish Labour Party), Tom Johnston (Scottish National Party), Robert Kelso (Independent), Andy Locke (Scottish Socialist Party), Mark Nolan (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party), Pamela Wilson (Scottish Liberal Democrats).
Kildrum Primary is the venue for the election, polls will open at 8am and close at 9pm.
Meanwhile Deputy Returning officer John Fleming revealed that 210 postal votes had been returned in the contest.
He said: 'These will be kept unopened and under lock and key until polling day when they will be opened and the votes will be counted with all the other votes cast in this by-election.'
The Scottish National Party has won a by-election in North Lanarkshire, the second SNP by-election victory in a week. Councillor Tom Johnston took almost 60% of the vote in the Kildrum Park ward in Cumbernauld.
The Party's Business Convener Bruce Crawford MSP said last night: "last week we won in the Borders, last night in Labour's heartland of North Lanarkshire. The SNP is on the march and determined to win in 2007. These stunning victories tell us we're on the right road."
The result on Thursday 16th June was:
Tom Johnston (SNP) 870 votes (59.35%)
Stephen Grant (New Labour) 445 votes (30.36%)
Andy Locke (SSP) 59 votes (4.03%)
Robert Kelso (Ind) 55 votes (3.75%)
Pamela Wilson (Lib Dem) 37 votes (2.52%)
Mark Nolan (Tory) 12 votes (0.82%)
1,466 votes cast (45.55% turnout) 425 majority
The by-election had been called because of the death of Cllr Margaret Murray.
The victory brings the SNP group up to 12 councillors on North Lanarkshire Council. The percentage poll was 45.55% which included 235 postal votes. This was the first election in which North Lanarkshire Council gave all voters the option of a postal vote.
Councillor Tom Johnston said he was "absolutely delighted" to be representing the ward of Kildrum Park and that he looked forward to joining the SNP group on North Lanarkshire Council.
The SNP also won a by election in the Borders just a week ago.
THE SNP was celebrating today after holding a key council seat following a by-election.
Thomas Johnston is the new councillor for Kildrum and Park at North Lanarkshire Council after winning 870 votes, defeating Labour's Stephen Grant who polled 445.
The by-election follows the death of SNP councillor Margaret Murray, the wife of former SNP Provost of Cumbernauld, Gordon Murray.
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