Former SNP Depute leader contender and Council Chief to stand for Alba Party at the General Election
A FORMER SNP Depute leader contender and Council Chief is to stand for Alba Party at the upcoming General Election.
Chris McEleny will contest the new Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West Constituency for Alex Salmond’s Party.
Mr McEleny served as an Inverclyde Councillor between 2012 to 2022. He is the longest ever serving Inverclyde SNP leader and left the party in 2021 to join Alba Party citing that the Scottish National Party had failed to prioritise independence. He now serves as Alba Party’s General Secretary.
He previously stood twice for the role of SNP Depute leader losing out to Angus Roberson in 2016 and Keith Brown in 2018.
Mr McEleny was known as a campaigning Councillor when he sat on the his local authority and achieved a national profile when he spearhead the campaign for an independence “Plan B”, previously warning that Westminster would not agree to a second independence referendum and that an election should be used to seek a mandate for Scotland to enter into independence negations with the UK Government.
McEleny says that with support for independence sitting at about 50% but support for the SNP now below 30% “ it is vital that independence supporters reflect that as the SNP continue to spiral downwards they can no longer win in seats like Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West. I am urging people not to go back to voting Labour because the SNP have let them down. Rally behind me and let’s ensure Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West keeps Labour out at the General Election.”
Since leaving elected office in 2022 McEleny has continued to campaign on local issues and recently led the campaign to secure a Council Tax freeze for all properties in Inverclyde after the Labour run authority had initially imposed an increase of 8.2%.
Commenting former SNP Inverclyde leader and now Alba Party General Election Candidate for Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West Chris McEleny said:
"At the General Election people have a choice - go back to a Labour Party that have let my area and Scotland down for decades or keep the Labour Party in the past where they belong.
“I take no satisfaction in the demise of the SNP. Put quite simply, with support for the SNP dropping so sharply, they can no longer win in many Constituencies. However, 50% of those living in my community support independence. My message to them is let’s keep out Labour and rally behind me as the only candidate that can build support across the Constituency to do so.
“Alba Party believe that every election should be fought seeking a mandate for independence. I will be the only candidate on the ballot paper in Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West giving people the choice to vote for independence.”
