Latest news with #ColletteBradley
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Polls to open in Hamilton by-election
Voters in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse will soon head to the polls to elect a new MSP. A by-election is being held following the death of the SNP's Christina McKelvie. The polls open at 07:00 and close at 22:00, with a result expected in the early hours of Friday morning. In what is the first Scottish Parliament by-election since 2019, parties are aiming to build momentum ahead of next year's Holyrood elections. There are 10 candidates contesting the by-election. They are: Collette Bradley - Scottish Socialist Party Andy Brady - Scottish Family Party Ross Lambie - Reform UK Katy Loudon - SNP Janice Mackay - UK Independence Party Ann McGuinness - Scottish Green Party Aisha Mir - Scottish Liberal Democrats Richard Nelson - Scottish Conservative Davy Russell - Scottish Labour Marc Wilkinson - Independent Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse had been held by McKelvie since the constituency was created in 2011. The SNP MSP served in several government roles, latterly as drugs and alcohol minister. She died aged 57 in March after being diagnosed with secondary breast cancer. The new MSP will only be in place for less than a year before the Scottish Parliament elections, scheduled for May 2026. The by-election will be a first-past-the-post ballot, meaning the candidate with the highest number of votes will become the constituency's new MSP. Voters do not need ID to cast their ballot. South Lanarkshire Council has advised those voting by post that if they have not sent their ballot in good time to arrive by 22:00, they can hand them in to a polling station. The council has published more advice on its website. The BBC, like other broadcasters, is not allowed to report details of campaigning or election issues while polls are open. Once polls close, the BBC Scotland News website will run a live page providing updates from the count in Hamilton, as well as expert analysis from correspondents and pundits. There will also be a BBC Scotland by-election special on BBC One Scotland, the BBC News channel and the BBC Scotland News website from midnight, presented by Martin Geissler. Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election: Who are the candidates?
BBC News
27-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election: Who are the candidates?
Voters in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse are to elect a new MSP following the death of the SNP's Christina result is keenly awaited as the vote takes place less than a year before the Scottish Parliament ballot will be held on Thursday 5 June. Here are all the candidates in alphabetical order: Collette Bradley, Scottish Socialist Party Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) candidate Collette Bradley, 46, says she comes from a staunchly socialist family with a tradition of trade union activism going back mother of two daughters also has two grandsons and is a member of the support staff for further education colleges in Bradley, from Rutherglen, is the elected chair of the SSP's Scotland union branch and has led campaigns for decent pay, equality and job has pledged to remain on the average worker's salary if elected rather than an MSP salary so she remains in touch with the realities of the cost-of-living says she supports a massive redistribution of wealth from millionaires to the millions who need SSP did have representation from Central Scotland following the 2003 Scottish Parliament election but their fiery socialism was extinguished at the next election. Andy Brady, Scottish Family Party Andy Brady, from Uddingston, says he's a happily married man with four says he felt the devastating effects of being a child going through his parents' Brady says it's his personal experience that a strong family helps to build strong says he cannot see any other party that truly has that as a core Brady adds that through open and honest dialogue, listening to people's needs and with no hidden agenda, Scotland can be a better place to live and grow. The Scottish Family Party opposes abortion and assisted dying, as well as calling for an end to identity politics. It has been contesting elections in Scotland since 2017. Ross Lambie, Reform UK Ross Lambie was born and raised in a small mining village in South Lanarkshire to working-class parents from graduated as an architect and set up his own practice, and now also teaches architectural students at various universities across the starting his career in London, he moved back to the local area to raise kids, a dog and says he got involved in politics to try to improve his area. Lambie was a Conservative councillor but defected to Reform UK, saying he believes that urgent and impactful changes are needed to arrest economic, cultural and societal says that only Reform has the policy platform to make the big decisions eyes are on Reform in this by-election following the momentum the party built up in the English local watchers are wondering how far they can advance and the potential damage they could inflict on other pro-union parties. Katy Loudon, Scottish National Party Katy Loudon, 45, is originally from North Ayrshire and moved to South Lanarkshire in has been married for 20 years and her husband is originally from Hamilton. They have two has been a South Lanarkshire councillor since 2017 and had been a teacher for 10 years before says Labour have let down the people of the constituency and Scotland, while her party is offering hope at this election and is focused on says the SNP has a strong track record, citing moves to scrap peak rail fares, deliver 150,000 extra NHS appointments and procedures, reverse the UK government winter fuel payment cut and mitigate the two-child benefit is a critical test for the SNP. If it retains the constituency it demonstrates that leader John Swinney has steadied the ship of state after the general election upset last year. Janice MacKay, UK Independence Party Janice MacKay, 63, lives in South Lanarkshire. She spent 35 years working in financial services and then a number of years in the retail retired now, she has two Mackay says she is offering the electorate the opportunity to vote for a unionist candidate who views the Scottish Parliament as nothing more than an additional local authority tier, while regarding Westminster as is urging voters to back UKIP if they abhor "draconian" rules and has pledged to give 40% of her salary to veterans' has a long political history but has faded from public view in the post-Brexit world, being rather eclipsed now by its descendant, Reform UK. However, it still has its committed followers here in South Lanarkshire. Ann McGuinness, Scottish Green Party Ann McGuinness is the director of a charity which promotes rural connections and champions rural diversity. The mother of two says her own lived experiences of poverty and disability give a valuable insight into the challenges faced by many whose voices are often says that as a dedicated feminist and environmental justice campaigner she has promoted climate education and has a strong track record of working across party lines to support women in says every vote for her party will be a positive vote for a fairer and greener Scotland and a brighter future for the constituency. The Greens didn't stand here in 2021 but they will be planning ahead for the Holyrood election next year in an area which is part of the Central Scotland list region. Aisha Mir, Scottish Liberal Democrats Aisha Mir was raised in Edinburgh and is the daughter of immigrant was the first in her family to attend university, graduating from the University of the West of Scotland.A career in business and finance then followed and she continues to live in this part of the Mir has been an unpaid carer for her mother through several serious illnesses over many years and says that is a big part of why she is putting local health and care services at the heart of her campaign. She first joined the Liberal Democrats in 2013 and served as spokesperson for human rights and older Mir says she is a passionate and experienced local champion and fights hard to give communities Lib Dems received little more than 1,000 votes in the constituency in the 2021 election. Richard Nelson, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Richard Nelson has worked in the NHS for 25 years, with most of that time spent in forensic mental health. He has also been a Conservative councillor since 2017, representing Larkhall. He says he has seen first hand the dedication of frontline NHS staff and the strain they are working under. Nelson says he is also a committed trade unionist and was motivated to step into politics when the issue became personal - after his wife was left lying on a hospital trolley for over 50 hours without access to a toilet or washing says the SNP has failed to support the frontline for too long and this by-election is an opportunity to give a voice to the people and constituency has been described by some as a three-way split - with the SNP, Labour and the Conservatives in Reform UK is now part of the dynamic and a lot of attention is being given to how Nigel Farage's party will impact on the Tory vote. Davy Russell, Scottish Labour Party Davy Russell, 63, was raised and still lives in the village of Quarter in the started out as a local apprentice, fixing roads, and went on to work at a senior level in local government. Mr Russell is a charity trustee, raises money for a hospice and has served as deputy lord lieutenant, representing the King at local events. Russell says his top priority is fixing the NHS and bring down waiting lists. He says he will campaign to end the 08:00 rush for GPs and fight Scottish government plans to downgrade Wishaw neonatal unit. He also says he will work hard to revitalise towns and villages, with investments in high streets, road and leisure the SNP, this by-election is a critical test for Scottish Labour after almost a year of Labour rule at Westminster. Speculation continues about the potential impact of Reform UK on the Labour vote and whether that will allow the SNP to retain the seat. Marc Wilkinson, Independent Marc Wilkinson is a pizza shop owner from Morningside in Edinburgh who was in the news two years ago after an overwhelming take-up of his free pizza businessman established the Edinburgh People party and is now setting up the South Scotland People party – as part of an attempt to establish regional parties across Scotland for the Holyrood list vote next Wilkinson's aim is for "the people of Scotland to choose to vote for themselves". He says he would take instruction directly from members of South Scotland People from within the constituency, establishing direct democracy and giving people on-going also initiated a petition calling for political parties to stop block voting and the party whip.
STV News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- STV News
'Scunnered': The mood in crucial by-election battleground
I spent the day in Hamilton town centre on Wednesday and must have spoken to maybe 40 people. The apathy and the anger were almost overwhelming. Many didn't want to speak on camera, many didn't really have a view. But many who did speak told me they were scunnered with all the political parties. I met more SNP voters than any other party but many of them were fed up with the party's record in government but supported independence. Some didn't really know why they were voting SNP. I met a few Labour voters, although I met more who were angry at the party's performance in government since the General Election. And I met a few Reform voters. Two of them were some of the keenest voters I met. One man had tried the others and felt they had all failed and wanted to give Nigel Farage a shot. The other had been a long-time Conservative voter but felt let down by them and was moving to Reform. The issues bothering people included the state of Hamilton town centre, with empty shops and derelict buildings and shopping centres. They are concerned about poverty and the cost of living. One woman I spoke to was looking after her grandchildren. Her own children lived in Glasgow; she told me she asked them if they would move back to Hamilton. They told her that 'Hamilton is for old people'. Another woman told of her daughter's struggle to find a home of her own. She is 23 and studying to become a nurse while working 32 hours a week in a care home. But her mother fears that despite working hard she might never be able to afford a place of her own because there is a shortage of affordable homes to rent. Other told me they were concerned about people coming from abroad and using services without ever having paid for them, and they weren't all Reform voters. I met other who were worried about the rise of Reform. This was by no-means a scientifically representative sample of the electorate. I was there in the middle of the day when many people would have been at work. But the impression they made on me was that they feel none of the political leaders are delivering for them, not even listening to them. If only there was some way the candidates could connect with voters and get their message across. They could try a TV debate. Candidate name Party Collette Bradley Scottish Socialist Party Andy Brady Scottish Family Party Ross Alexander Lambie Reform UK Katy Loudon Scottish National Party (SNP) Janice Elizabeth Mackay UK Independence Party (UKIP) Ann McGuinness Scottish Green Party Aisha Jawaid Mir Scottish Liberal Democrats Richard Nelson Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Davy Russell Scottish Labour Party Marc Wilkinson Independent Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Daily Record
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
BBC Debate Night to broadcast from Hamilton ahead of crucial by-election
Audience members are wanted for the show's first visit to the town on May 28 A television politics show will be broadcast from Hamilton in the run-up to the constituency's crucial Holyrood by-election – with local voters being invited to take their place in the live audience. BBC Scotland show Debate Night will come to the town for the first time for a by-election special to be screened next Wednesday, May 28. Panellists for the show, hosted by broadcaster Stephen Jardine, are due to be announced later this week ahead of the filming and broadcast, eight days before residents in Hamilton, Larkhall & Stonehouse go to the polls in the hotly-contested ballot. Interested prospective audience members can apply for free tickets by visiting and clicking 'apply to be in the audience'. The weekly political discussion show travels across Scotland and has previously been broadcast from Rutherglen in 2023 ahead of that constituency's Westminster by-election, as well as from North Lanarkshire venues at Motherwell and Cumbernauld. Now local residents are wanted 'to be part of the studio audience and have their say on who should be the next MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall & Stonehouse' in the special episode, to be shown on BBC Scotland at 9pm and then BBC1 at 10.40pm. Producers say: 'Debate Night is the only television programme of its kind in Scotland. It gives you the opportunity to put your questions to the country's decision-makers and public figures. 'We want people from all walks of life – you might be a parent, carer or student, perhaps you run a business or are a frontline worker; retired, self-employed, unemployed or just starting out in the workplace – we need you. It's your questions, stories, experiences and opinions that lead our discussion.' A total of 10 candidates are standing in the constituency's by-election on June 5. The full list of those appearing on the ballot paper is: Collette Bradley (Scottish Socialist Party); Andy Brady (Scottish Family Party); Ross Lambie (Reform); Katy Loudon (SNP); Janice MacKay (UKIP); Ann McGuinness (Green); Aisha Mir (Liberal Democrats); Richard Nelson (Conservative); Davy Russell (Labour); and Marc Wilkinson (independent).
