Seven candidates have stepped up to contest the Whitburn ward seat in the upcoming November by-election in West Lothian. This seat was vacated by Councillor Kirsteen Sullivan after she was elected as the Labour MP for Bathgate and Linlithgow earlier this year. Among the candidates are the current chair of Whitburn’s Community Council and a former serving councillor.
David Blackie Russell will be representing Labour in the election, while local community council chairman Tam Lynch will run as an independent candidate. Bruce Fairbairn, who previously held a Tory ward seat from 2017 to 2022, aims to regain that position as he stands for the Conservatives. Another candidate, David McLennan, who ran as a Reform candidate in the recent General Election, along with Cameron Glasgow, a regular Green candidate and campaigner, complete the diverse candidate pool.
The by-election is scheduled to take place on Thursday, 14th November. The deadline for voter registration is midnight on Tuesday, 29th October, while the deadline for postal vote applications is 5pm on Wednesday, 30th October 2024. It is noted that individuals who applied online for a postal vote for the General Election will need to submit a paper application form for the by-election.
After the 2022 local elections, the Whitburn ward had four councillors split between Labour and the SNP. The full list of candidates includes Aileen Brown for the Scottish National Party (SNP), Douglas Thomas Butler for the Scottish Liberal Democrats, Charles Kennedy for the Scottish Conservative and Unionist party, Thomas Robert Lynch as an Independent candidate, David McLennan for Reform UK, and David Blackie Russell for the Scottish Labour Party.
This by-election presents an important opportunity for residents of Whitburn to have their voices heard and shape the future direction of their local representation. As the campaign unfolds, the candidates will be engaging with the community to share their visions and plans for the area. Stay tuned for updates on this closely watched election.