Falkirk Council election: Here are the issues and the candidates for Falkirk North

Falkirk North (Ward 6) takes in Bainsford and Langlees, Camelon, Middlefield, Grahamston, the Bog Road area and Ladysmill.

There are six candidates vying for votes in the Falkirk North ward ahead of the council elections on May 5, hoping to claim one of four seats and represent the ward for the next five years.

Falkirk North has some of the areas with the highest levels of deprivation in the district and anti-social behaviour, fly tipping and poor housing are ongoing issues for many people. However, it also has several strong community groups that are working hard to make long-term improvements to their areas.

Who won in 2017?

David Alexander, Scottish National Party (SNP), 2326 Dennis Goldie, Scottish Labour Party, 1118 Cecil Meiklejohn, Scottish National Party (SNP), 1060 Robert Bissett, Scottish Labour Party, 841

The background

Whatever happens in this ward, change is in the air for Falkirk North. Two of Falkirk’s longest-serving politicians – both former party leaders and each with decades as councillors behind them – will not stand again. The SNP’s David Alexander and former Labour stalwart Dennis Goldie – who has been an Independent since resigning from the party in November last year – both leave big shoes to fill.

However, both SNP and Labour candidates include experienced councillors with both current respective group leaders standing.

The SNP group leader Cecil Meiklejohn is also the current Leader of Falkirk Council and her party is aiming to win an overall majority. Also standing for the SNP is long-standing party activisit Iain Sinclair, who lives in Langlees with his wife and two children.

The current Labour group leader Robert Bissett is also standing again and he is joined by Robbie Burgess, 22, a former member of the Scottish Youth Parliament and a current member of Unison Young Members Committee.

The Conservatives are hoping to win a seat in Falkirk North for the first time with their candidate James Bundy. The party says he has experience leading local and national campaigns, to keep Bo’ness road open in Grangemouth and on the Freedom of Religion or Belief.

Zohaib Arshad is standing for the Alba party and is one of three candidates hoping to win their first seat on Falkirk Council.

In the 2017 election, the STV voting system played its part in electing the four councillors. While Conservative Wendy Chandrachud picked up slightly more votes than Labour’s Robert Bissett (916 compared to 841) the Conservatives did not pick up enough transfer votes to take a seat.

Who can I vote for?

Falkirk North (Ward 6) – four councillors to be elected from seven candidates

Zohaib Arshad, Alba Party,

Robert Bissett, Scottish Labour Party

James Bundy, Scottish Conservative and Unionist

Robbie Burgess, Scottish Labour Party

Judith McLaughlin, Scottish Green Party

Cecil Meiklejohn, Scottish National Party (SNP)

Iain Sinclair, Scottish National Party (SNP)

*In an earlier version of this article, Zohaib Arshad was inadvertently missed from the list for which we apologise