Joanna Strathdee
Joanna Strathdee is a Scottish National Party politician and a councillor on Aberdeenshire Council for the Huntly, Strathbogie and Howe of Alford ward. She is currently the SNP Group Leader on the Council. She is from Huntly in Aberdeenshire.
She was first elected to Aberdeenshire Council in 1999 and contested the United Kingdom general election, 2005 in Gordon unsuccessfully finishing fourth with 7,098 first preferences. In the 2007 Scottish Local Elections she topped the poll in her ward with 1,839 first preferences and was elected on the first count and thereafter became SNP Group Leader. She later contested the United Kingdom general election, 2010 in Aberdeen North unsuccessfully, finishing second with 8,385 first preferences to the Labour Party's Frank Doran.
Strathdee retained her seat in the 2012 Scottish Local Elections, taking the second seat and exceeding the quota with 830 first preferences. However, she was unable to bring in a running mate with her. Following the election on 8 May 2012 her party colleague, Cllr Rob Merson, was elected as Leader of the enlarged SNP group in place of Strathdee. However, within an hour of this happening Merson resigned and Strathdee was reinstated.
She remains Leader of the Opposition on the Council as the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, the Scottish Liberal Democrats and Independents came together to form an administration.
References
- Joanna Strathdee Electoral History UK Polling Report 2010
- Joanna Strathdee SNP page
- Joanna Strathdee back after leadership challenge BBC Report
- New administration formed STV.tv report