McCallum not conceding in Surrey election, considering judicial recount of vote: party leader Ian Macdonald
A Scottish Nationalist has gone to court to overturn the registration result in Scotland’s national council election that saw him narrowly lose to Labour.
The High Court in Edinburgh will have the power to overturn the verdict of the Scottish Parliament calling for a judicial recount of the vote.
The Scottish Labour Party (SLP) has said it will challenge any order to overturn the registration result.
It also said it would seek to have the ruling quashed on the grounds that it was made without giving the election watchdog the opportunity to be heard.
The party went to court to contest the results after the SNP’s ruling was challenged by a member of the public.
Party leader Ian Macdonald told BBC Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme: “Today the judgement of the SNP executive has been challenged in court by one of its officials.
“But, in a democratic, accountable democracy, if there is any doubt about the fairness or legality of the results, we are going to court.”
He said the party was prepared to go to court if necessary.
Mr Macdonald said the party’s response was “pretty clear” that there had been an incorrect decision and added: “We are preparing to go to court.”
“The result in the registration of the SNP in Scotland is a direct result of the incompetence at the top of the SNP executive.”
He added: “It’s the responsibility of that executive to ensure that the electorate in Scotland is properly represented.”
He told the programme he feared for the future of the Scottish National party if it failed to overturn the registration decision.
“The SNP is in trouble because of the incompetence at the top of its executive,” he said. “In my mind that is a reason for the party to be looking to the High Court at the moment.”
Mr Macdonald said: “The SNP are losing support amongst the public, and that reflects on its electoral performance, which is the lowest since the 1930s.”
Mr Macdonald said the party knew that any election results in Scotland would be challenged by other parties.
He said: “This is a massive test for us, if it doesn’t go our way,