A confident Aberdeen SNP group yesterday announced the party’s 25 candidates for Aberdeen City Council elections – including a former Holyrood stalwart.
The nationalists are the only group so far who have sufficient would-be councillors to achieve a majority in the Town House after the vote on May 4.
A total of 45 seats will contested in the Granite City – with 23 needed to achieve overall control.
The Labour and Tory groups will need to rely on a coalition, even if they get every single one of their candidates elected, as they are putting up 20 and 11 respectively.
Yesterday at the Bridge of Dee, where the SNP plan to build another multi-million pound bridge next to the centuries old crossing if they win back power, the group announced former MSP Christian Allard would be among those seeking election.
The French-born candidate, who represented the north-east in the Scottish Parliament from 2013 to 2016, will be contesting the Torry and Ferryhill ward.
He is moving to the area.
SNP group leader Stephen Flynn said that a full manifesto would be realised later in the campaign.
He said: “I think when it comes to elections you’ve got to be in it to win it, the Labour administration have clearly indicated they don’t think they can win this election.
“The people of the city want change, they want to vote for politicians who listen to them, who believe in the communities of this city and politicians who want to transform infrastructure.
“The bridge is obviously a fundamental pillar of our manifesto and we believe that we should transform the entrance to our city – and building a four-lane structure adjacent to the current one is the best way to do that.
“We will never shy away nor hide from the social-democratic values of our party and, whist the Labour party and their Tory colleagues will continue to throw money at advertising campaigns, we will focus our efforts in the coming weeks on chapping doors in order to listen to the people of Aberdeen.”
Mr Allard, renowned for his online presence and being the first Holyrood politician to take his oath in both English and French, said his 20 years in the fishing industry would make him a good representative for the south-of-the-river ward.
He said: “The people of Aberdeen deserve good councillors and that’s what we hope to deliver.”
