Labour’s Pat Reid was re-elected Provost only this time the former UNISON activist has a Tory, John Patrick, as his depute and peer.

Other appointments brought the accusation of “gerrymandering” as Labour and their allies created artificial majorities for themselves on several of the council committees.

On the 8 person Policy & Resources Committee where the previous administration had lost several votes due to the tightness of the numbers the non aligned Independent, Robert Spears was replaced by tame Tory, John Patrick who will be keen to demonstrate his gratitude to Labour colleagues for his new found promotion.

The non aligned Independents were also frozen out of a place on the Planning Committee in favour of the madcap Councillor, Billy Buchanan, and his close confidant, the Lower Braes Tory, Malcolm Nicol.

Bizarrely Buchanan won a vote to become Planning Convenor by 17 votes to 15 against the SNP’s Steven Carleschi. All of the Labour members who queued to privately condemn the maverick Bonnybridge Councillor  over his disgraceful election leaflet just a few weeks ago voted to reward Buchanan with this most responsible of positions.

Advice from council officials regarding the split in delegate places to the influential Confederation of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) was that the four delegates from Falkirk Council should be split 2 Labour 2 SNP. However, the second SNP position was given to the Tories proving that Labour and the Tories are working hand in hand to a national agenda as well as local.

To add insult to injury both positions on the Helix Board were grabbed by Labour despite the fact the Helix was an SNP creation.  Cecil Meiklejohn lost out by 17 votes to 15, to Labour’s Craig R Martin.

Even before the appointment of Provost, the council heard that letters sent by the SNP to both the Labour and Conservative seeking talks on finding common ground  and co-operation didn’t attract even the courtesy of an acknowledgement.

The restoration of the building has come at the end of a five year campaign by local SNP Councillor, Cecil Meiklejohn, who hosted a series of meetings with owners and council officials and lobbied for a restoration programme throughout that time.

Now the hard work is about to produce a positive outcome that will be welcomed throughout Bainsford.

The recently re-elected SNP Councillor said,

“This announcement is hugely satisfying as the Big Bar building is a significant building in the community.

 The damage done to the building and subsequent deterioration had a negative impact on not only the building itself but on the wide community given its strategic location.

 When I first met with the council officials and owners almost five years ago the task looked hopeless and I feared for the future of this building.

 The problem has been the fact the building has 13 different owners each with different interests and financial means.

 However, enough progress has been made to allow the first phase of restoration going ahead immediately and that is a matter of great satisfaction to me and, I am sure that will be shared by the Bainsford community.

 With the housing regeneration of Carron   Road thanks to changes in legislation and grants from the SNP Government the restoration of the Big Bar is another piece in the jigsaw of improvements in Bainsford.”

This is happening at the same time as hundreds of disabled people across Falkirk District are receiving letters advising them that the Westminster Tory Government are cutting their state benefits.

The Tories who won only two of Falkirk Council’s seats with less than 10% of the popular vote on May 3 but have found themselves elevated to the top table by the Labour Party eager to hang onto power within Falkirk Council at any cost.

Veteran Tory, John Patrick is tipped to become Depute Provost to Labour’s Pat Reid in a marriage of convenience designed to keep out of power the party that won the highest percentage of First Preference votes.

Councillor Patrick who just before the 2007 elections declared he would never support a Labour Administration in Falkirk is the latest politician to have their heads turned by a badge, and of course a weekly additional payment.

However it is the perception of the people of Falkirk that concerns the SNP.

Councillor Steven Carleschi said,

“When there is a sniff of power Labour’s morals disappear quicker than snow in June.

 During the elections I met many people who believed Labour would protect them from Tory cuts but how can they do that when they are not only in bed with the Tories but are promoting them to high office within the Falkirk community.”

 It is expected that the other official Tory member, Malcolm Nicol is expected to pick up the chairmanship of the Licensing Board in Falkirk and the total allowance of upwards of £21,000 a year that goes with the joint posts.

The other member of the bizarrely named Conservative, Independent Alliance, Billy Buchanan is likely to be retained as convenor of the Planning Committee despite his reputation as a “developers delight.”

The Falkirk Herald describes the pact as “Labour led” but this is a smokescreen to hide the fact the Tories are in an exceptionally strong bargaining position given the instruction from Labour HQ to do anything to keep the SNP out of power.

Now fears are being raised over the future of council services such as Refuse Collection. This service was to be tendered to the private sector just before the local elections but the SNP won a six month stay of execution but the service now becomes vulnerable to the Tory Privatisation agenda.

The Tories also fought the election on a policy of reducing the Council Tax and cutting essential council services.

Thee pact between the Tories and Labour comes at a time when hundreds if not thousands of Falkirk people are experiencing cuts in their benefits that are causing major hardship to some of the lowest paid families in the district. Labour’s surrender to the Tory agenda will be viewed by many as the latest betrayal by a party that ha lost its soul.

With the first meeting of the new council coming up on the 18^th the people of Falkirk will get their first indication of the price extolled by the Tories and their colleague, Billy Buchanan. However, Friday will only give and indication of what the Tories have negotiated for themselves by way of positions within the Administration, the real cost to the people of Falkirk wont become evident for some time.

It didn’t have to be this way, the fact the SNP and Labour jointly run Edinburgh shows what can be achieved when Labour drop their fear and hatred of the SNP.

The fact the SNP outpolled Labour on May 3 meant the SNP had to be excluded from any genuinely open discussions regarding the governance of Falkirk Council.

The fear is that having secured a majority within the chamber we will now see changes in the council’s structures designed to exclude not only the party who received most votes in the election but also the two out of three Independent Councillors who refused to take the Labour whip.

The SNP have asked for talks with both the Labour and Conservative Parties on the future for Falkirk Council. These talks should go ahead irrespective of deals already agreed between Labour and the Tories because they are about an agenda that I more important than who wears the chain of office, they are about scrutiny, transparency and democracy itself.

At present the 13 SNP members have the backing of 2 Independents with Labour’s 14 supported by the sole remaining Independent, Billy Buchanan with the council’s 2 Tories holding the balance of power.

Talks have been ongoing between Labour and the Conservatives throughout the week but the SNP believes that no deal has yet been brokered.

Contained in the SNP manifesto is a commitment to seek a more open and transparent set up within the council and the SNP want talks on the shape the local authority will take no matter who forms the administration.

The SNP also pledged to respect the role of all Councillors and create a more inclusive environment where everyone has their say.

SNP Group Leader, David Alexander, said,

“If the Tories decide to back an SNP / Independent Administration, as they have done before, then we can promise them changes that are in everyone’s interest.

If, however, they continue their pact with Labour then both of these parties must recognise that the SNP received the highest number of first preference votes and these people have a right to have their voices heard.

We hope that we can have constructive dialogue with the other groups and work together to make Falkirk Council that bit better.”

Text of the letter issued to John Patrick,

Cllr John Patrick

Conservative Group Leader

11 May 2012

Dear John

I am aware that talks are ongoing between your group and the Labour Group regarding the future shape and management of Falkirk Council the details of which are, of course private between participants.

However, I am sure you will appreciate that Falkirk Council has 32 members all of whom have a democratic mandate from the people to play a role in the shaping of the council.

As the leader of the party that received the highest percentage share of first preference votes I am sure you will appreciate the need  for the SNP Group to be involved in the process of shaping the future.

We accept that there will always be fundamental political differences between all of the groups that make up Falkirk Council but the SNP manifesto made it clear that our vision is of a more consensual and inclusive structure and ethos.

Because of this I would invite yourself and your colleague, Councillor Nicol, to meet with representatives of the SNP Group to discuss options and opportunities for a better Falkirk Council.

I have sent a similar invitation to the leader of the Labour Group, Craig Martin.

Yours sincerely

Cllr David Alexander

SNP Group Leader

However, in a bizarre twist despite the fact the SNP were almost a full 3% ahead in votes cast and the STV voting system is supposed to deliver a proportional result, Labour picked up 14 council seats to the SNP’s 13.

There was high drama in several of the ward counts beginning in Ward 1 Bo’ness , where the SNP secured 49% of the first preference vote to Labour’s 41%. With the SNP’s Ann Ritchie polling 1526 first preference votes 2^nd preference votes from Ann were enough to carry Sandy Turner over the winning line.

In ward 2 Grangemouth, new boy David Balfour of the SNP was elected with a 1% swing from Labour to the SNP. However, the intervention of Independent candidates, David Sharp and Jim Waugh, who had little chance of being elected, assisted Labour in their efforts to retain 2 seats in Grangemouth.

Ward 3 Denny and Banknock, saw SNP stalwarts, John McNally and Martin Oliver returned to be joined by Independent, Brian McCabe who replaced the Labour supporting Independent, Alex Waddell to rob Labour of one of their loyalists.

Ward 4 was a predictable 2 SNP, 2 Labour with the SNP vote up 5% from 2007 and Stephen Bird and Steven Carleschi safely returned to form a formidable partnerhip.

Ward 5 had the SNP topping the poll and increasing their share of the vote by 6.4%, mostly at the expense of Billy Buchanan whose behaviour has led to a complaint to the Electoral Commission. Buchanan further demeaned the democratic process by failing to turn up for the count or declaration.

The ward with the highest SNP vote was Ward 6, Falkirk North, where David Alexander and Cecil Meiklejohn secured 53.2% of the vote against Labour’s best performer, Pat Reid andyoung Craig Martin.

Falkirk South, Ward 7, and the SNP were within a few votes of ousting Labour’s most senior Councillor Gerry Goldie. Colin Chalmers standing for the first time was only 119 votes away from topping the poll but the loss of Georgie Thomson was a blow.

Ward 8, Lower Braes, was the latest ward to have the SNP top the poll increasing their share of the vote from 22.4% to 36.7%, Steven Jackson winning a seat for the SNP.

Perhaps the greatest drama was reserved for the final Ward 9, Upper Braes. The popular Gordon Hughes and Labour maverick, John McLuckie took the first two seats on first preference votes. At that stage the SNP’s second candidate, Ricky Wilson was 18 votes ahead of the Tory and 85 votes ahead of Labour’s second candidate.

However, when the Conservative candidate was eliminated the majority of the Tory second preference votes transferred to the Labour candidate in a unionist alliance and a seat that should have been won by the SNP was nicked by New Labour.

Full results

Ward 1

David Aitchison  (Lab)         826

Adrian Mahoney  (LaB)       852  *

Lyn Munroe   (Con )            385

Ann Ritchie   (SNP)            1526 *

Sandy Turner  (SNP)          462 *

Ward 2

David Balfour   (SNP)         1099 *

Allyson Black   (Lab)           1201 *

Andrew Cowie  (SNP)           423

Amanda Nicol  (Con)             279

Joan Paterson  (Lab)            503 *

David Sharp     (Ind)             228

Robert Spears  (Ind)             862 *

Jim Waugh  (Ind)                   279

Ward 3

Jim Blackwood  (Lab)           1189  *

David Grant  (Con)                 196

Khalid Hamid  (Ind)                387

Terrie Hay  (Lab)                     443

Brian McCabe  (Ind)                622  *

John McNally  (SNP)             1502 *

Martin Oliver  (SNP)                571  *

Alex Waddell  (Ind)                  411

Ward 4

Stephen Bird  (SNP)               1237  *

Steven Carleschi  9SNP)          908  *

Jim Flynn    (Con)                     385

Charles MacDonald  (Lab)      1377 *

Craig Martin  (Lab)                  1332  *

Ward 5

Billy Buchanan  (Ind)               1018  *

Tom Coleman  (SNP)              1387  *

Linda Gow  (Lab)                     1235  *

Chris Harley  (Ind)                     166

Lynda Kenna  (SNP)                 299

Roy Elliot  (Con)                        376

Ward 6

David Alexander  (SNP)          1915  *

Robert Ardis   (Con)                  346

Craig Martin  (Lab)                  1102  *

Cecil Meiklejohn  (SNP)            879  *

Pat Reid  (Lab)                        1011  *

Ward 7

Colin Chalmers  (SNP)            1160  *

Dennis Goldie  (Lab)               1279  *

Gerry Goldie  (Lab)                   839  *

Joe Lemetti  (Ind)                      465

Hugh McGinlay  (Ind)                  81

John Patrick  (Con)                   840  *

Georgie Thomson  (SNP)         672

Ward 8

Steven Jackson  (SNP)            1259   *

Robbie Landsman  (SNP)          197

Malcolm Nicol   (Con)               1447 *

Alan Nimmo  (Lab)                    1117  *

Ward 9

Gordon Hughes  (SNP)            1257  *

John McLuckie  (Lab)               1361  *

Rosie Murray  (Lab)                   483  *

Alan Rust  (Con)                          550

Ricky Wilson  (SNP)                   568

* Denotes elected

Election results will follow on Friday.

The SNP are riding high in the opinion polls and have put forward the most ambitious and community friendly manifesto of all the parties.

The SNP council chief also assured supporters that there is no complacency within the SNP camp only a determination to win on Thursday and deliver the much needed  within the local authority.

The SNP is also the only party fielding enough candidates to win control of the council outright, a clear sign of ambition on the part of the Nationalists.

From social care to our commitment to build more council houses, the SNP has  put forward a programme that is radical and taps into the mainstream views of the people of Falkirk.

Mr Alexander said,

“On Thursday we can make a little bit of history and by doing so we will make Falkirk district more than a little better.

 Our campaign has been a positive one compared to the negativity of our opponents and the nastiness of some of those whose comfortable positions are under threat from the SNP.

 That campaign has caught the imagination of thousands of our fellow citizens and the response around the doors has been nothing short of fantastic.

 We recognise that with power comes responsibility and that to do nothing for fear of doing something wrong is not acceptable.

 Even in these days of austerity Falkirk Council could do so much more to make our communities fairer.

 Ambition and vision are the qualities the SNP introduced to Falkirk Council in 2001. Tomorrow we take the first steps towards restoring those qualities and in doing so we move our communities forward in a way that has been missing for too long.”

Proof of this comes in the shape of an election leaflet circulated by Conservative Councillor for the Lower Braes, Malcolm Nicol where he fails to mention the Conservative Party anywhere in the publication.

Councillor Nicol, a senior member of the Tory / Labour Administration also ignores his own contribution to civic like over the last five years and instead claims credit for SNP achievements in the previous term such as the provision of a new library in Polmont.

However, it is attempt to hide his Tory membership that has attracted the rightful condemnation of SNP candidate for the Lower Braes, Robbie Landsman who said,

“While both myself and my colleague, Steven Jackson, are proud to declare our political roots our Tory opponent is seeking to con the people of the Lower Braes by hiding his political views and affiliations.

 Of course Mr Nicol has previous in such matters but there is evidence that the people of the Lower Braes are not so easily fooled.

 The Lower Braes, like all others, is suffering major problems at  the hands of the Westminster Tory led government. And so while I understand why Cllr Nicol would want to hide his colours from the electorate he cant be allowed to get away with such a deceit.

 Of course Cllr Nicol also has to face up to the question being asked at door after door, what did the people of Lower Braes gain from the five years Cllr Nicol sustained a do nothing Labour led Administration?

 On Thursday the people have a choice, a discredited Labour / Tory Administration or a better option of the SNP.”

Sandy Turner

SNP candidate for Bo’ness and former professional soldier with 24 years service, Sandy Turner, has condemned plans by the UK Government to abolish the Argyll and Southern Highlanders along with the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.

The recently-announced disbandment of 40 Regiment, the
Lowland Gunners, it will mean that one-third – three of the nine Scottish-raised battalions in the army – will have been scrapped by the Tory/Lib Dem coalition.
Mr Turner said:

“The Argylls in particular have a long and well established association with this community and their disbandment  would be a betrayal by the UK
Government.

 This announcement highlights the decline of Scottish recruited units and starkly exposes the extent to which the UK Government are running-down Scotland’s defence capabilities.

“The Tories claim to be the champion of the Armed Forces but the opposite is the case yet Labour fare no better, for over a decade Scotland has been short changed, losing more than 10,500 defence jobs and enduring a £5.6billion underspend.

 All of the London parties have sold out our service personnel and so it is no wonder more and more of them are turning to the SNP.”