Edinburgh council by-election: 13 candidates stand in latest Colinton/Fairmilehead contest

The by-election on Thursday, January 23, 2025, will be the second time in less than three months that voters in the area have been to the polls. They voted in a by-election on November 14 caused by the resignation from the council of Labour’s former transport convener Scott Arthur after he was elected as MP for Edinburgh South West.

The Lib Dems won that contest, but new councillor Louise Spence resigned a week later after it emerged that, despite fighting a campaign which focused heavily on the fact she lived in the ward, she was planning to move to Dubai, where her husband had a new job.

Colinton Parish Church. Picture: Lesldy Martin.

And in the meantime, the SNP councillor for Colinton/Fairmilehead, Marco Biagi, had also resigned after being appointed a special adviser to the Scottish Government, meaning there were two vacancies to fill.

There were 12 candidates in the November by-election and now there are 13 for the January contest.

The new Lib Dem candidate is Peter Nicholson, now retired after a career in the law, who has lived in Fairmilehead with his wife for 25 years.

Labour has chosen Conor Savage, who comes from Wales but moved to Edinburgh as a student and works in finance.

Neil Cuthbert, the Tory candidate last time, is standing again. He runs his own public relations business and lives in Swanston.

The SNP candidate Marianna Clyde, a retired academic, is also standing again, as are Green Dan Milligan amd the Scottish Family Party’s Richard Lucas.

Reform UK are fielding Grant Lidster and there are six independents.

People living in the Colinton/Fairmilehead ward must register to vote by January 7 if they want to take part in the electtion. Anyone wishing to vote by post can sign up for a new postal vote up until January 8, 2025. And the deadline for new proxy vote applications is January 15, 2025.

Council chief executive Paul Lawrence, who acts as Returning Officer, said: “With nominations now closed and just over a month remaining until polls open, residents of the Colinton/Fairmilehead ward can start considering who they will vote for in the upcoming by-election. It's important to make sure you're registered to vote by 7 January 2025, to make your voice heard.

“Councillors play a key role in our democratic system, making crucial decisions that impact our city. I encourage as many residents as possible to take part in this by-election.

“The election will use the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system, where voters rank candidates in order of preference by assigning numbers rather than just marking a single cross. You can choose to vote for as many or as few candidates as you wish.”

The full list of candidates standing for election is:

• Bonnie Prince Bob, Independent
• Mev Brown, Independent
• Mairianna Clyde, Scottish National Party (SNP)
• Neil Cuthbert, Scottish Conservative and Unionist
• David Henry, Independent
• Nick Hornig, Independent
• Grant Lidster, Reform UK
• Richard Crewe Lucas, Scottish Family Party
• Daniel Aleksanteri Milligan, Scottish Greens
• Mark Ney-Party, Independent
• Peter Alexander Nicholson, Scottish Liberal Democrats
• Conor Savage, Scottish Labour Party
• Marc Wilkinson, Independent

Poll cards are being delivered to registered voters in the area with further information on when and where to vote.

Polling stations will be open on Thursday, January 23,from 7am to 10pm. The polling stations are at: Charwood, Fairmilehead Parish Church Hall, St. Cuthbert's Episcopal Church Hall ,Oxgangs Neighbourhood Centre and Pentland Community Centre.

The electronic election count will take place the following day.