New Cumbernauld independent group’s plan of action

Cumbernauld Independent Councillors Association has just one representative on North Lanarkshire Council - the veteran former Scottish Nationalist Gordon Murray.

CICA wants more locals to come forward in a move which has the potential to upset the political apple cart.

Organisers believe local Labour and SNP councillors are not serving the needs of Cumbernauld – and that an independent could make all the difference.

The meeting held earlier this month in Cumbernauld Village saw some key issues discussed, such as the controversial suspension of Cumbernauld’s X-Ray service by NHS Lanarkshire.

Spokesman Nick Dekker said: “We shall have another meeting on August 8 to firm up our strategy to raise Cumbernauld issues so that the public become more fully aware of these issues and how they affect the town.

“We hope to start to raise public awareness of what we stand for and hopefully we can encourage some to come forward to stand at next year’s local election.’’.

Mr Dekker stressed that CICA’s supporters were a varied bunch who shared the common denominator of wanting change. “We are not a group in the sense that we have any ideology,” he said.

“From what I see around our table there are people of various past political persuasions who are dissatisfied with the way local government activity is dominated by the needs of the political parties rather than the voters.”

He added: “We do not like what is happening to Cumbernauld as part of NLC.

“Yet the two main political parties are not giving a voice to these concerns.”