Local Braehead resident Gary McGrow has announced he will be standing in the Stirling East by-election as an independent candidate.

Full statement

He has lived in the Stirling East ward for over 20 years with his wife and two children who both attended Braehead Primary School and Stirling High School.

Throughout his working career Gary has amassed vast experience in local government, economic development, self-employment, private sector consultancy and he now works as a researcher for a national NHS organisation.

Gary has a proven track record in local community involvement for a number of years sitting on the previous community council as planning officer and Secretary, working with community councillors and residents on many issues. This included installing defibrillators in the community, 20mph limits, anti-social behaviour, speeding and he successfully campaigned with other groups and individuals across party politics to halt the Viewforth Link Road. He has also supported local youth as a football coach and worked to repair drainage on the local Braehead football pitch.

Gary also outlined some of the issues that he will work towards if elected, including:

Local community and voluntary organisations are facing difficulties with less funding, rising costs and reducing numbers of volunteers. The likes of local sports teams, youth groups, community centres and support groups are the glue that binds communities together, more support from council services should be undertaken to keep these volunteer led services going.

Schools and social care should be delivering evidence based and common sense education and social services rather than promoting gender ideology. Public services are becoming hijacked by activists promoting a science denying and harmful ideology. If elected I would challange the ideology and activism whenever it arises in council services.

Improve local footpaths which are a mess all across Stirling East. It’s all very well having big new developments at Corbiewood and Forthside if the rest of us have to put up with crumbling infrastructure.

Halt any future increase in the brown bin charge. This is a bin that is collected anyway for food waste so why should there be an additional charge for garden waste? There’s probably not the budget to scrap this charge anymore but there should be no more increases. This has effectively become a garden waste poll tax.

Improve local sports pitches and play parks, in particular to improve drainage to stop flooding. Most parks in the area actually have decent play equipment. The biggest problem is due to our ever wetter climate, flooding our parks and sports pitches. Improved drainage in our parks will encourage children to use and benefit from them more.

Install digital information signs at bus stops to inform passengers of delays or cancellations. There’s not much that can be done due to shortage of drivers or buses breaking down but if passengers knew when the bus was arriving (or not!) then they can make other arrangements and inform work, parents, school that they’ll be late. Other local authorities do this why not Stirling Council?

Most of the candidates in this by-election live outside the Stirling East ward, their motive for standing is to put their party first and your community second. As a local candidate I have an incentive to improve this area.

Vote for independent candidate Gary McGrow who will put Stirling East first.