North Lanarkshire’s longest-serving opposition councillor is to face down at Might’s council elections.
David Shares has represented Airdrie wards for 27 years and led the council’s SNP group on the authority from 2011 till 2019.
He's one in all simply 4 unique members elected when the authority was first fashioned who remains to be in workplace on the Civic Centre chamber.
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Saying his choice, Councillor Shares informed Lanarkshire Reside: “I simply really feel the time is true to go after 27 years; I’d been pondering since final summer season about what to do forward of this election.
“I’ll be 70 this 12 months and simply assume that is the correct time to go and revel in it.
“Through the years on the council I’ve loved seeing the SNP group rising – and I’ve been pleased with representing the world the place I dwell.”
Councillor Shares grew up in Gartlea, which has all the time fashioned a part of his ward, attending Tollbrae Main and Airdrie Excessive and happening to search out employment at British Metal’s former Imperial Works in close by Cairnhill.
He was elected to the newly-created North Lanarkshire in its first election in 1995 forward of the brand new unitary authority formally changing regional and district councils the next 12 months.
The SNP member represented the Gartlea ward till 2007, when bigger multi-member areas had been created together with his space changing into a part of the Airdrie Central seat for which he is likely one of the 4 present councillors.
He mentioned of his political profession: “I’d been a member of the SNP since method again within the 70s and by no means actually had curiosity in standing in native elections till the 90s, however then there was curiosity in attempting to get a few of us to face and I mentioned I’d have a go.
“I stood on the final Monklands District election towards Peter Sullivan [who later became a council and ward colleague] and completely loved that have, and was then profitable in 1995 and began in North Lanarkshire’s shadow 12 months.
“The very best factor about being a councillor for me has all the time been attempting to assist folks and issues we’ve been capable of do within the ward; the new faculties which have been constructed within the space are terrific and it’s nice to see them and the services they've.”
Councillor Shares has seen the SNP contingent develop from seven members on North Lanarkshire’s first council to 33 on the final election – yet one more at the moment than the Labour occasion which went on to kind a minority administration.
He mentioned of his eight years as group chief: “The chance got here up when Richard Lyle moved to the Scottish Parliament; folks within the group inspired me and mentioned I had an opportunity, and I used to be was delighted to serve in that position.
“It was a good time and I definitely loved it. I felt we must always have had some say [in forming the administration] after the final election in 2017 and it was disappointing that didn’t occur after we had been the most important occasion.”
He added: “So much has modified within the time I’ve been a councillor which has been actually attention-grabbing to see.
“Even after standing down I’ll nonetheless be concerned, doing issues like canvassing and delivering leaflets for folks; I’ll see what I become involved in and in any case I don’t assume my spouse will need me hanging about the home!
“I’ve obtained to know a variety of good folks by means of my time as a councillor, and it’s been very gratifying.”
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