Tributes paid to Mid Argyll's 94-year-old unseated councillor

A 94-year-old councillor has brought an end to his long service on Argyll and Bute Council after he was not elected for another term.

 

Independent candidate Donnie MacMillan BEM, a councillor since 1995, was not one of three winning candidates elected to the authority’s Mid Argyll ward in the polls on Thursday May 5.

 

Another independent candidate, Douglas Philand, who has been on the council since 2007, was re-elected, with the SNP’s Jan Brown and the Scottish Conservatives’ Garret Corner also joining the council.

 

The turnout for the ward was 52 per cent. The result was revealed at Lochgilphead Joint Campus on Friday May 6, with votes having been counted since first thing in the morning.

 

Councillor Philand said: 'It is wonderful that all the candidates put themselves forward and we have put our faith in what we have done.

 

"attachment_705551" "" "300"] A victorious Dougie Philand, with his mum Lena, and his wife Libby, and Lena's husband Robert. Photograph: Kevin McGlynn.

 

'Thank you to those who decided that I should represent Mid Argyll, along with Garret Corner and Jan Brown.

 

'At this point it is poignant to pay tribute to Donnie for his years of service. You have been an inspiration to a lot of people and long may you keep good health.'

 

Councillor Brown said: 'Thank you to everybody who is here. It has been a fantastic journey and I will never forget it, and now we move on to the next bit.

 

"attachment_705557" "" "300"] New Mid Argyll SNP councillor Jan Brown, centre, with her dream team: Andy and Mary Anne Buntain. Photograph: Kevin McGlynn.

 

'It is a privilege to be here and to be involved from the start. I will represent every single person in Mid Argyll the best I can and I will give 100 per cent every day.'

 

Councillor Corner was not in attendance at the count.

 

The election took place under the single transferrable vote system. The result, with first preference votes listed for every candidate, was:

 

Abisola Adepetun (Independent) – 54

 

David Barton (Scottish Liberal Democrat) – 107

 

Jan Brown (SNP) – 993

 

Lesley Burt (Scottish Labour) – 157

 

Andy Cameron (Independent) – 140

 

Garret Corner (Scottish Conservative) – 371

 

Donnie MacMillan (Independent) – 149

 

Douglas Philand (Independent) – 1148

 

Ross Weir (Independence for Scotland Party) – 78

 

The electorate was 6,222 and the number of ballot papers received was 3,234 giving a percentage turnout of 52.0%. There were 37 rejected ballot papers. The quota of votes for a candidate to be elected was 800.