Glasgow election: Whiteinch Library key for Victoria Park candidates

Securing the future of Whiteinch Library will be a key focus for councillors elected in the Victoria Park ward in next month’s local government elections.
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After 22 months of closure the building was finally reopened to the public in January this year but campaigners and local residents say major repairs are required to help transform the library into a community centre and a place to meet.

The Save Whiteinch Library campaign group, which was created to ensure Glasgow City Council reopened the facility, says their job isn’t over yet. While the primary objective has been achieved, the organisation wants to ensure the library remains open in a fit for purpose public building.

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Located in the west of Glasgow, the core of the ward since its creation as Partick West in 2007 has been formed from the Broomhill, Thornwood, Jordanhill, Glasgow Harbour and Whiteinch neighbourhoods, along with a small part of Anniesland.

There are fears for the future of Whiteinch Library.There are fears for the future of Whiteinch Library.
There are fears for the future of Whiteinch Library.

This year also saw the launch of Victoria Park’s wildlife and biodiversity garden. The park is home to a wide range of birds, trees, plants and small animals. Friends of Victoria Park have taken a number of steps to improve habitat in the park and opened their biodiversity garden in March.

2017 Results

The 2017 election saw a 48.9% voter turnout with 8517 valid ballot papers and 117rejected ballot papers.

The first preference votes received by each of the elected candidates was:

Feargal Dalton – SNP – 2248 votes

Ade Aibinu – Conservative – 2018 votes

Maggie McTernan – Labour – 1701 votes

2022 candidates

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There are six candidates hoping to win one of the three seats available in the Victoria Park Ward. Councillors Ade Aibinu, elected in 2017, and Feargal Dalton, elected since 2012, will fight to stay elected representatives while councillor Maggie McTernan is stepping down after just one term.

At a most recent full council meeting she said that the council needed to reflect on the way it treated women and if it wanted more women to stand in council elections it needed to listen to the barriers they face on a daily basis.

She presented a motion to full council asking them to investigate the “worrying trend” of female councillors not seeking re-election and pointed out that in 2017 just 32 of the 85 councillors elected were women. She hoped that could change next month.

Full list of councillors standing in Victoria Park

Feargal Dalton – SNP

Ade Aibinu – Conservatives

Eunis Jassemi – Labour

Lana Reid-McConnell – Greens

James Douglas Speirs – Liberal Democrats

Mahmood Ullah – Alba

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