A HUSTINGS for a crucial by-election was thrown into chaos last night after the Tory candidate walked out due to his Labour counterpart not showing up.
Campaign group No Cuts Lanarkshire hosted the event at St Peter’s chapel hall in Hamilton on Tuesday, inviting all the candidates for the upcoming by-election in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse on June 5.
The SNP’s Katy Loudon, the Scottish Socialist Party’s Collette Bradley, and Ann McGuinness from the Scottish Greens turned up.
But both the Labour candidate Davy Russell and Reform UK’s Ross Lambie dodged the invite – with Labour instead represented by the Labour leader of South Lanarkshire Council, Joe Fagan.
This led Conservative candidate Richard Nelson to stand up right at the start of the hustings, just as the candidates and Fagan had taken to their seats, and announce he would not be taking part.
It comes amid controversy over Russell repeatedly dodging local hustings, an upcoming STV debate, radio interviews and the media, in general, during the campaign.
A series of heavily edited social media clips have also led to accusations that he is unable to “string a handful of words together”.
“I don’t think it’s right that I debate the council leader,” Nelson told the roughly 50-or-so local voters in the audience.
“I would have rather debated with Davy Russell, with the actual candidate. So, I’m going to withdraw from here because I don’t think it’s fair that the leader of the council comes on his behalf.”
This led to some claps from the audience. One woman said: “Absolutely.”
One man in attendance then added, seemingly referring to Nelson’s withdrawal: “Shocking. Absolutely shocking.”
The woman then asked: “Why is it shocking?”
One of the hosts from No Cuts Lanarkshire then intervened.
He said: “I’m just going to try to keep this a bit stable. I understand your frustration with Richard withdrawing from the debate and unfortunately it is his decision to make whether we agree with it or not.”
The woman then interrupted, adding: “Can I just ask. This is about candidates. Why is the leader of South Lanarkshire Council sitting at a top table? That shouldn’t be happening.”
The host then responded: “I’m not a member of the Labour Party.”
But the local resident again intervened, saying: “But he’s not a candidate. He shouldn’t be here.”
Later on, after each candidate and Fagan made their opening statements, the floor was opened to local residents to quiz them.
The same woman then asked Fagan directly: “How can you stand and say your speech and say about how Davy Russell is going to lead for the constituency, going to stand in Holyrood and speak for the people of this constituency when he can’t turn up to radio interviews, when he can’t turn up to hustings, when he can’t speak without Anas Sarwar by his side?”
Fagan said: “Well, right now, he is at an event on the NHS.”
She then responded: “He’s always at an event Joe.”
On Wednesday, Sarwar attempted to defend Russell while being interviewed on BBC Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland (GMS) show.
GMS host Gary Robertson quizzed Sarwar about why Russell appears to be avoiding all media outlets during his campaign.
Robertson said: “We invited the candidates for this upcoming by-election onto the program yesterday, but your candidate didn't come. Why not?”
Sarwar replied: “That's a matter for the campaign team and the campaign.”
The Scottish Labour leader went on to claim that Russell had done media interviews and that he has more planned in the future.
However, Robertson further called out Sarwar as he asked: “But you understand what the issue here is, that many of your opponents believe that he is running scared.
“That actually when it comes to appearing on programmes like this, he's just not available.”
Sarwar replied: “Well, I just don't accept that because Davy Hamilton – Davy Russell, sorry – is the only candidate that lives in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse."
