By Ben Langmead, ALDC’s New Scottish Development Officer. Ben is also a councillor for the Bearsden South ward on East Dunbartonshire Council, having won a by-election there at the start of 2026.
It’s been a week already and I wanted to say hello to everyone. I’ve already been in touch with some of you about next year’s Council elections in May and I will be reaching out to everyone else over the coming weeks.
We are in an exciting time in local politics, and it presents a real opportunity for us Liberal Democrats to make our mark in Scotland. With the rise of Reform UK and the Green Party, we are seeing politics diverge on both the left & the right. As centrists we often represent the common-sense approach to problem solving preferred by most people.
ALDC will have a stand at Conference in Brighton in September and again at Scottish Conference in Edinburgh in October so book your ticket and swing by to say hello. We will be able to signpost you to all the fabulous resources offered by ALDC to help you get elected.
There’s also our fantastic Kickstart event in November with limited discounted places available of £100 off. This is our flagship residential training weekend that will provide you with all the tools and mentoring you and your team need to get elected. The people doing the training are all elected Councillors too, so it is not just theoretical learning. It’s given by people who have been there and got elected.
I look forwards to meeting you all in good time and helping get more Liberal Democrat Councillors elected in our continuous march toward 150 and rising.