Argyll and Bute Council election candidates revealed

A former leader of Argyll and Bute Council is one of four Helensburgh and Lomond councillors who will not stand in the 2022 election.

Aileen Morton, who was first elected in 2012 and was made leader five years later, will not be among the candidates when voters go to the polls on May 5.

She stood down as leader in September 2020, being replaced by her LIberal Democrat colleague Robin Currie.

Another serving Helensburgh Central councillor, the SNP’s Lorna Douglas, has also decided not to stand again, having first been elected at the last election in 2017.

Also absent from the ballot paper, this time in Lomond North, is Conservative councillor Paul Collins, who was only elected at a by-election in December following the resignation of his fellow Conservative Barbara Morgan.

Councillor Richard Trail (SNP, Helensburgh and Lomond South) completes the quartet of serving Helensburgh and Lomond councillors who are not seeking re-election.

The council announced the candidates for the election on the evening of Wednesday, March 30. The full group of currently-elected councillors is scheduled to meet for the final time in April.

The full list of candidates for each Helensburgh and Lomond ward is:

Ward 9 – Lomond North (three councillors to be elected)

• Maurice Corry (Scottish Conservative and Unionist)
• George Freeman (Independent)
• Mark Irvine (Independent)
• Robert MacIntyre (Independent)
• Nigel Millar (Scottish Liberal Democrats)
• Iain S Paterson (Scottish National Party)
• Watson Robinson (Scottish Labour Party)

Ward 10 – Helensburgh Central (four councillors to be elected)

• James Alexander-Robb (no party affiliation listed)
• Sarah Davies (Scottish Greens)
• Graham Hardie (Scottish Liberal Democrats)
• Fiona Howard (Scottish Labour Party)
• Ian MacQuire (Scottish National Party)
• Gary Mulvaney (Scottish Conservative and Unionist)
• Alison Willmot (Scottish Conservative and Unionist)

Ward 11 – Helensburgh and Lomond South (three councillors to be elected)

• Math Campbell-Sturgess (Scottish National Party)
• Howard Green (Scottish Greens)
• Paul Kennedy (Scottish Liberal Democrats)
• David Kinniburgh (Scottish Conservative and Unionist)
• Gemma Penfold (Scottish Conservative and Unionist)