Stuart is the mastermind...

Word has reached me that West of Scotland regional list MSP Stuart McMillan is masterminding an audacious bid by the SNP to seize control of Inverclyde Council at next May's elections.

The SNP - who stood 6 candidates at the 2007 elections and had 5 elected - are planning to stand 10 candidates next year in the hope of being the largest party and therefore best placed to lead a coalition or operate as a minority Administration.

For Ward 1 (Quarrier's Village, Kilmacolm and most of Port Glasgow) the SNP have selected sitting Councillor Jim MacLeod and newcomer Math Campbell-Sturgess. Campbell-Sturgess is a protege of Stuart McMillan. I understand that he was originally rejected as a candidate but was put through on appeal by McMillan. Campbell-Sturgess, who lives in Greenock, has been described to me as a rather colourful character.

Putting two candidates up in Ward 1 is being viewed as a major risk to sitting Councillor MacLeod, who will come after Campbell-Sturgess on the ballot paper. Unless the SNP get their voter management strategy right Jim could end up losing out to his SNP colleague if they are only successful in getting one candidate elected.

As we know already, the SNP are putting one candidate up in Ward 2 (Port Glasgow West and Greenock East Central). Sitting Councillor Jim Grieve beat fellow Councillor Chris Osborne in a close selection contest. It is understood that McMillan's backing for Grieve was decisive in his victory.

Insiders within the SNP are concerned by the choice of Grieve given that he has attended only 3 Council meetings in the last two years or so due to illness.

The SNP are apparently planning to put two candidates up in Ward 3 (Greenock Central/West). With Chris Osborne withdrawing from the selection process however they are on the hunt for another candidate to partner academic Alex De Rutyner.

Former Labour Party member Jim Watson has been selected to replace another former Labour Party member, Keith Brooks, in Ward 4 (Greenock South). Watson is almost certain to be elected as the sole SNP candidate in the ward.

In Ward 5 (Gourock) the SNP are believed to be standing two candidates - John Crowther and Chris McEleny. This again is viewed as a risky strategy since they currently do not have a Councillor in Gourock.

Similarly in Ward 6 (Greenock South West, Inverkip and Weymss Bay) they are putting up two candidates, one of whom is likely to be current Group Leader Innes Nelson. They seem to believe that with the collapse in the Lib Dem vote locally they could squeeze out former Lib Dem Provost Ciano Rebecchi and gain two Councillors in this ward.

Looks like interesting times ahead in 2012.