Borders Party

Last updated

The Borders Party
Leader Frances Pringle
Secretary-GeneralJim Smith
Founded2006 (2006)
Dissolved2020
HeadquartersNorth Lodge
Torwoodlee
Galashiels
TD1 2NE [1]
Ideology Borders regionalism
ColoursPurple
Scottish Borders Council
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The Borders Party was a political party involved in local government in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. [2] The party returned two councillors to the Scottish Borders Council in 2007 and again in 2012.

History

In April 2006, Save Scott's Countryside (SSC), a campaign group opposed to the Borders Railway and a local housing development, announced their intention to field candidates at the upcoming election. [3] The party was launched in October 2006. [4] At their launch their stated ambitions were around local government becoming more responsive to community need. [4] The party remained opposed to the rail link to Edinburgh and in favour of regionalism. [5]

The Borders Party contested the 2007 Scottish Borders Council election and returned two councillors. [6]

The party also contested each ward in the 2012 Scottish Borders Council election [7] returning Sandy Aitchison and Nicholas Watson to their respective wards for a second term. The two councillors joined a coalition administration as independents. [8]

In August 2012, Borders Party Cllr Nicholas Watson announced he would be leaving the area to pursue employment in Cumbria. [9] He resigned his seat on the Council the following February. [10] The by-election for the Leaderdale and Melrose ward was won by Iain Gillespie, also of the Borders Party, on 2 May 2013. [11] Frances Pringle took over as leader. [12]

The Borders Party were part of the Independent group on the council. [13]

At the 2017 local elections Gillespie and Aitchison stood as independent candidates. [14]

The party was deregistered by the Electoral Commission in November 2020. [15]

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Leaderdale and Melrose (ward)

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References

  1. "View registration - The Electoral Commission". search.electoralcommission.org.uk. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  2. View registration Borders Party Electoral Commission Register of Political Parties
  3. "Campaigners to seek council seats". BBC News . 18 April 2006.
  4. 1 2 "New party set for official launch". BBC News. 16 October 2006.
  5. "Borders faces its own North-South divide". The Scotsman. 7 April 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  6. "Independents suffer heavy losses". BBC News. 4 May 2007.
  7. "Borders Party reveals May election line-up". The Southern Reporter. 13 January 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  8. "New coalition to run Scottish Borders Council after governing deal struck". STV News . 12 May 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  9. "Borders Party leader Nicholas Watson to step down". BBC News. 30 August 2012.
  10. "Borders Party councillor resigns from SBC". Peebleshire News. 1 February 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  11. "Borders Party's Iain Gillespie wins Leaderdale and Melrose by-election". BBC News. 3 May 2013.
  12. "Pye stands for the Borders Party". Peebleshire News. 20 August 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  13. "Councillors by Party: Borders Party member of the Independent group". Scottish Borders Council. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  14. Hodgson, Callum (29 March 2017). "Candidates announced for May's local government elections". Border Telegraph. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  15. "View registration - the Electoral Commission".