Local SNP champions worthy of your vote - Lesley Macinnes
This Thursday there are two council by-elections. One in Southside Newington and one in Portobello Craigmillar.
Some people think council by-elections don’t really make a difference and don’t bother to vote. But council elections really do matter. All the decisions that we take in the city, about your bins, roads, education and care for vulnerable people, business support, housing, transport and how to tackle climate issues, are made in the council by the people you elect.
And who you elect really matters. Inside the council, we are currently witnessing one of the most chaotic, inept administrations you could imagine. Labour-led and supported by Lib Dems and Tories, they seem incapable of good quality decision-making and leadership and more interested in preserving their own positions than doing the right thing.
Businesses and organisations that do so much to keep this city working and a wonderful place to live are being directly impacted by a council administration which is not willing to do the hard work and take responsibility for making lives better.
They made a mess of keeping everyone properly informed of progress on the Princes Street situation. Lives and businesses have been directly impacted by the silencing of the trams. Sales in many Leith Walk businesses are heavily down, for example. Thanks to council officers and their careful, delicate work, Princes Street has finally re-opened on Saturday.
And there’s been an unholy row about the funding of some of our key cultural organisations, for both the Festivals and community organisations.
Final agreements have been postponed again because the administration didn’t like democratic decisions that were made. Meanwhile those organisations are left struggling to see how and when they can take vital steps to continue the good work they do. Who gets elected matters.
So, who are the two SNP candidates for these by-elections? Sam Mackenzie is asking for your vote in Southside Newington and Silas McGilvray is doing the same in Portobello Craigmillar. Both are intelligent, committed individuals who understand the change we so desperately need to see.
Do you want true local champions who will bring energy and focus to what is happening in their wards? They will find solutions to the worries you have and work hard to deliver them.
Vote SNP on Thursday.
Liberton Gilmerton councillor and SNP group leader