SNP deploy duo to contest city centre ward

Dec 2 2011 by Denis Brown, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

PERTH City Centre ward councillor Jack Coburn has been reselected as an SNP candidate, but this time he will not be alone.

Flanking the municipal veteran of nine years in a hotly-contested campaign next April, will be first-time candidate Andy Hay, a 31-year-old North Muirton father of three.

The ward’s make-up presently mirrors the four main political parties with incumbents SNP Cllr Coburn, Lib Dem Cllr Peter Barrett, Labour Cllr Archie MacLellan and Conservative Cllr Heather Stewart.

But Cllr Coburn (73), a former Perth and Kinross Council environmental health officer, said retaining a seat was never a done deal.

“You’re never sure what might happen, there are no guarantees,” he said.

Asked which rival could be more vulnerable when it came down to the wire, he said: “That’s not only a loaded question, the bullet is halfway out!

“It is a pleasure to be a councillor for Perth City Centre. I have lived and worked here all my days and I have always been accessible and approachable to the people of the ward.”

He said he was delighted to welcome Andy Hay, a procurement manager with NHS Scotland, as his running mate, describing him as a fine addition to the local SNP team.

Although this is his first foray into local politics, Mr Hay, who joined the SNP at age 21, will clearly be no pushover.

When asked which of the other three candidates might be the weakest link, he went into ‘deflection mode’ with all the aplomb of a seasoned campaigner.

“I don’t know is the honest answer, all I know is that I’ll be campaigning hard and not thinking along these lines as that would just get you into a negative mindset,” he said.

“For me it’s all about getting out into the community, understanding what matters to people and hopefully winning the election.”

North Muirton born, his family relocated to Craigie when he was a ‘nipper’.

He has since returned to his roots with his partner Linda Alexander and their three children.

“I was politically aware from a very young age as I was brought up in the Thatcher era, so I knew what was going on in the political landscape – even at school it was in the forefront of my mind,” he said.

“So now I’ve done well in my career I think it’s time to give something back to the community, instead of just talking about it.

“Perth, to me, is a fantastic place and I’m fiercely proud of it.”