There's no contest in Buckie ward as council candidates all returned
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THE Buckie ward in Moray Council has made electoral history –although not in the way either candidates or voters expected.
Nominations closed for the 26 seats up for grabs in the local authority at the May 5 poll closed at 4pm on Wednesday, March 30.
However, it turned that, once the nomination papers had been counted after the deadline, that only three candidates had put their names forward for the three seats available, meaning they have been returned as ward elected members uncontested.
New faces Neil McLennan (Scottish Conservative) and Christopher Price (Scottish Liberal Democrats) will join sitting SNP councillor Sonya Warren in representing Buckie and Findochty.
Stepping down in May will be Councillors (Gordon Cowie (Indpependent) and Tim Eagle (Conservative). Councillor Eagle is currently the Tory group leader on Moray Council.
There has not been an uncontested ward in Moray since the introduction of multi-member wards. The last time was in 2003 under the First Past the Post (FPTP) system, when there were 26 wards.
Due to the ward being uncontested, voters in Buckie will not be asked to cast their ballot nor will postal ballot papers be sent out.
The result will be formally declared along with the other returns at the count on May 6.
A total of 42 candidates are standing for 26 seats in the election.
In the Keith-Cullen ward, where three seats are being contested, a total of five candidates have cast their hats into the ring. They are: William Keith Barclay (Scottish Family Party: Pro-Family, Pro-Marriage, Pro-Life); Tracy Colyer (Scottish Conservative); Theresa Coull (SNP); Donald Gatt (Scottish Conservative); Leslie Tarr (Scottish Liberal Democrats).
To the west of the Buckie ward, in Fochabers-Lhanbryde, three seats are also up for grabs. Contesting these are: Dave Bremner (SNP); Donald John Craig Cameron (Scottish Liberal Democrats); Marc Macrae (Scottish Conservative); Shona Morrison (SNP); Ben Williams (Scottish Labour Party).
The full list of candidates and their agents for the eight Moray Council wards being contested, as well as the polling places in each ward, can be found at www.moray.gov.uk/elections
