Cllr David MacDonald has left the Liberal Democrats.

In a resignation letter to the Chairman of East Renfrewshire Liberal Democrats posted on his Facebook page Cllr MacDonald has written -

'party political membership is just not for me '

'I was elected as an Independent and while I have been a member of a party I feel I cannot represent constituents to the best of my ability '

'I need to return to the type of elected membership I feel most comfortable with '

'That being 100% focussed on the people within my ward '


You can read more on Cllr MacDonald's Facebook page.

Cllr MacDonald post on his Facebook page -

Cllr David Macdonald for East Renfrewshire is feeling determined in Busby, East Renfrewshire, United Kingdom.

19 hrs ·

In 2017 I ran as an Independent candidate to represent local people on local issues only and have always remained committed to the people I represent in Clarkston, Busby, Netherlee, Stamperland and Williamwood.

I have always remained true to my word that I would never discuss national level politics inside the council chamber.

I have fought hard to increase the levels of transparency at this council in order that the people I represent know as much as they can about how their council are properly delivering the services to them.

In June of this year I made a decision to become a member of a political party and to formally sit in the council representing them.

This was not the right decision.

The only people I feel comfortable representing within this chamber are you, the people of my ward.

After a very short time I have realised that party politics is just not for me.

It compromises my ability to speak freely.

It compromises my ability to fully focus all of my efforts on the people I represent.

I thought I could get the balance right but I cannot.

I am someone very much focussed on making a difference in people's lives.

I enjoy the local casework I take up.

It gives me an enormous amount of personal satisfaction to know that I can make a difference to people's lives in the community that I love.

But I cannot do this to the best of my ability while distracted by membership of a political party and all of the commitment to a party that membership requires.

It just isn't me.

I want all of my focus to be solely on the people that I represent on local issues and for it not to be diluted by being a member of a party so very consumed by national level politics, in particular one very large issue.

I have never considered myself to be a politician.

Rather just a regular guy who has been fortunate enough to win the trust and backing from the community to represent them inside the council chamber.

I feel that by joining a party it let down a lot of people who voted for me because I was Independent of that.

That has being weighing very heavily on my conscience.

So today, I announce that I have formally resigned my 2 month membership from the party and I am now returning, very happily and with a great weight off my shoulders I might add, to the Independent politics that I was elected on and that I truly enjoy.