AN SNP councillor is positioning herself as “the unity candidate” in a bid to win the party’s nomination for a constituency riven with divisions.
Lynne Anderson, who is a member of the Labour minority-run North Lanarkshire Council, has put herself forward for selection for the Uddingston and Bellshill seat at next year’s Holyrood elections.
“The time for Scotland’s independence is now,” she said.
“Members want a pragmatic, transparent and honest representative who will be fearless in speaking for them. I’ve proven I can navigate politics in Lanarkshire without compromising my principles.
"I’ve been working for and with the people of Uddingston and Bellshill for five years now and believe I’m the candidate that SNP members can rely on. I am the woman who will be a strong voice for this area and drive forward the campaign for independence.”
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She added: “We cannot afford to be distracted by grudges and disagreements. Our priority must always be securing independence. Unity is our biggest strength. The next parliament will be the independence parliament ... We have a long road ahead to beat and recover from Covid.
"Our public services are ever more vital in that recovery. We can only ensure sustainable secure jobs, quality affordable housing, infrastructure investment and protection of our environment by having full fiscal autonomy. We need to be in the driving seat.”
The SNP in North Lanarkshire were rocked in recent years by bitter infighting, with the party taking the unusual step at one point of suspending the Coatbridge and Chryston branch because meetings had become too “toxic” with “a culture of mistrust”.
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