Serving our communities



Picture shows a group of Labour activists and
 myself campaigning in Lennoxtown

Last week I helped out on polling day at the by-election in East Dunbartonshire Council in the Campsie and Kirkintilloch North ward.  I was very pleased to help Gemma Welsh get elected as a Labour councillor for the area. 

I really enjoyed myself on election day, I was brought up in Milton of Campsie which is in this ward, so I found myself knocking on doors in Milton and in Campsie (Lennoxtown) of people I knew, some of whom I had been a school with.  It was a real trip down memory lane for me.

The by-election was caused by the death of Councillor Charles Kennedy.  Charles was a friend of mine and I was really sorry to hear of his death.  One of my first political experiences was leafleting with Charles in the 1987 General Election.  Whilst I was a pupil at St Ninian's High School in Kirkintilloch, I pestered Charles to help me with various Modern Studies projects and I am glad to say that I was also helped in these projects by Charlie (now Sir Charles) Gray and Tom Clarke MP.  This is one reason why I am always happy to try and help students who ask me as a local councillor to help them with projects for school, college or university.

The late Councillor Charles Kennedy

Charles Kennedy was a stalwart of the Labour Party in Milton of Campsie when I was growing up and I was always impressed by his commitment to serving our local community at that time.  This is something that has hopefully influenced me in my work as a local councillor.  Kevin McKenna has written a very interesting piece in the Observer on his work with Charles Kennedy a few years before I was politically active.  It is a shame that Charles Kennedy ended his political career outside the Labour Party and I am very sorry about that.  I know that Charles was always pleased to hear tales of my work as a Labour councillor in Dundee, so I think that his heart always remained in Labour. 

I would like to wish Gemma Welsh all the very best in her new role as one of the councillors for Campsie and Kirkintilloch North.  She has a hard act to follow but I am sure that she will enjoy representing the people of Kirky and Campsie. Charles worked hard for his local area and put the interests of his constituents first in everything that he did, that's not too bad a target for every councillor.