Defeated Falkirk SNP candidate hits back after loss of party's safest seat
The defeated SNP candidate for Falkirk has taken a swipe at his party’s MSP and council administration in the area.
Toni Giugliano lost the Nationalist’s largest majority and the seat that former Falkirk councillor John McNally had held since 2015.
He polled 13,347 votes, 5000 less than Labour’s Euan Stainbank with the 24-year-old now heading to Westminster following a 30 per cent swing.
But speaking moments after his defeat was announced and later in a Facebook post, Mr Giugliano said “iPadgate” had been detrimental to his campaign and that of other candidates across Scotland.
He also criticised Falkirk Council’s SNP administration saying their proposals to cut school hours and shut community centres cost him votes.
Falkirk MSP Michael Matheson resigned as health secretary after racking up an £11,000 charge on an official device while on a family holiday in Morocco in December 2022. He had initially claimed the iPad was only used for parliamentary work but later admitted his sons had used it as a hotspot to watch football.
Mr Matheson was docked 54 days’ pay and suspended from the Scottish Parliament for 27 sitting days over the incident.
But some feel First Minister John Swinney should have forced him to step down as an MSP.
In the aftermath of Friday morning’s announcement Mr Guigliano said: “iPadgate and Falkirk Council’s voter repellent plan to cut school hours gave no chance of holding on to this seat.”
He added: “I have never witnessed an SNP administration publicly attack their own candidate for advocating SNP government policy days before an election. This points to clinging on to power and they must consider their position.”
The council is currently consulting on a proposal to cut school hours from 26.6 hours to 24.75 hours per week for secondary pupils and from 25 hours to 22.5 hours per week for those in primary schools.
Last February the Scottish government said it was “not acceptable” for any cuts to the time pupils spent in the classroom.
Mr Giugliano added: “I am certain following this result, we will have new candidates for Holyrood and the next council elections to help locally and rebuild trust in Falkirk SNP.”
There was only one Falkirk councillor by his side throughout the campaign, Lorna Binnie, while others were conspicuous by their absence, particularly at the count centre. It is understood many were campaigning for Martyn Day in Bathgate and Linlithgow, a seat he lost to Labour’s Kirsteen Sullivan.
The deep rift locally was apparent following Mr Giugliano’s selection last October following a ballot of members.
Shortly after complaints were made to SNP HQ that he had placed pressure on local members to support him, breached spending limits and fabricated an endorsement, allegations he rejected.
But following an investigation by the party, the complaint was thrown out.
This is the fifth time Mr Giugliano has stood for election and his fifth defeat. Despite this, he said that he was still considering what next for his political aspirations.
A spokesperson for Falkirk SNP said: “It is clear from the results across Scotland that this is a bigger question for the party nationally rather than an isolated result.
“The results are challenging for the party, and it is right that we take time to reflect on them over a period, work to rebuild trust, and show our communities the benefits of SNP representation at all branches of government.
“Public finances are under the most ferocious pressure, and it is now up to Sir Keir Starmer and his new Labour government to figure out how to turn that around. Rest assured that the SNP are still here to hold any government to account when they fail to deliver on the change that has been promised.”