Alastair Shields, who was initially elected to The City of Edinburgh Council as a Liberal Democrat, and who retired from the council at this month’s election, has said he will now support the Conservatives.
MrĀ Shields represented the Lib Dems in Edinburghās Almond ward last term before becoming an independent councillor latterly, said he would now campaign for the Scottish Conservatives in Edinburgh West.
He said the party was āticking both boxesā when it came to respecting the results of the independence and EU referendums, and āfighting hardest for the centre groundā.
Mr Shields is the latest former Labour or Liberal Democrat member to switch to the Scottish Conservatives ahead of next monthās election.
Pledging to get his ācanvassing shoes onā, he said: āIn Edinburgh West, the Scottish Conservatives appeal to the electorate because they spend more time talking about their own campaign pledges and the potential of their candidates.
āThey put across a simple message: we will deliver, vote for us.
āIt feels like something of a revolution is developing in Scotland. Ruth Davidson puts people and communities at the top of the agenda, leaving talk of independence behind. Weāve had that discussion
and the Scottish people rejected it. Letās move on.ā
Scottish Conservative Edinburgh West candidate Sandy Batho said:Ā āAlastair is one of many former Labour and Lib Dem members switching their support to the Scottish Conservatives.
āThatās because people want to see a party which will fight the SNP in standing up for Scotlandās place in the UK, and respect last yearās Brexit vote too.
āAll over the country the party is making strides, and itās abundantly clear we are the only ones capable of standing up to the SNP and its divisive drive for another independence referendum.ā
The full list of candidates for Edinburgh West is as follows :
Edinburgh West
BATHO, Sandy – Scottish Conservative and Unionist
GIUGLIANO, Toni – Scottish National Party (SNP)
JARDINE, Christine Anne – Scottish Liberal Democrats
TELFORD, Mandy – Scottish Labour Party
WHITTET, Mark Robertson – Scotland’s Independence Referendum Party
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https://www.buzzfeed.com/jamieross/this-party-is-standing-for-election-because-the-snp-isnt?utm_term=.eiVDwa9w4#.qjQaxPZxo
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