Dad's the word: Argyll Councillor elected to replace father

A local councillor is giving new meaning to the term "like father like daughter" after being elected to replace her dad.

Jennifer Kelly, 29 was elected to represent the South Kintyre ward after a by-election on Thursday.

The vote was called after her father, Donald Kelly, resigned from Argyll and Bute Council after serving as a councillor for 22 years.

Ms Kelly said she was pleased to be able to continue his legacy.

The new councillor told BBC Scotland News: "It's still a little bit surreal, I've always been interested in local politics and with my dad being a local councillor for such a long time - it was always something that was being talked about in the house.

"Walking down the main street with him, you couldn't go from one end to the other without someone stopping him to ask for his help or thanking him for the support he'd given to them.

"The amount of people who stopped to thank him genuinely for the work he has done, was overwhelming.

"When I was out campaigning, people would come up to me and say we know your dad did so much for the area and we know you are the same kind of person- so you've got our vote."

She said her father's support and guidance during her election campaign was "invaluable" and being able to ask him "questions over the dinner table" would be a massive help as she finds her own feet in the world of local politics.

Donald Kelly represented the South Kintyre ward since 2001, previously as a Conservative councillor but latterly as an independent.

The 29-year-old said will follow in his footsteps as an independent councillor.

Jennifer said she had grown up campaigning for local causes - partly due the the role her dad played in supporting them.

"Going back many moons ago, I would've been five, he was very involved in a campaign to stop the closure of a local primary school. I was in a magazine holding a handmade sign saying save Drumlemble Primary school," she said.

She also recalls a time in high school when she took a petition her dad had backed into class with her to convince her teacher and fellow pupils to sign.

Now she is has been elected she said she will continue to champion the causes her father supported, as well as developing her own campaigns.

Jennifer becomes both the youngest and only female to represent the ward at a council level, which is something she wants to use to her advantage.

She continued: "I'm hoping that as a younger female I will be able to engage more with the younger electorate. Maybe there will be some issues people will feel more comfortable talking to me about.

"I had people say I've never voted before but I'm going to vote for you."

The new councillor says she is looking forward to putting her own stamp on the job.

There are a few notable political dynasties in Scotland.

Former SNP president Winnie Ewing and both her MSP children, Fergus and Annabelle.

On a UK-wide scale, names like the Johnson and Miliband link political siblings.

The family link is less unusual within local politics.

In fact the Kellys are not the only family within the ranks at Argyll and Bute Council after a mother and son were both elected to represent different wards in 2022.