Edinburgh council: By-election will choose new councillor for vacant seat in Corstorphine/Murrayfield

Replacement for former Edinburgh Lord Provost Frank Ross

Voters in Corstorphine/Murrayfield will go to the polls on Thursday to choose a new councillor to replace former Lord Provost Frank Ross who resigned just before Christmas after a decade on the council.

Nine candidates are bidding for the seat in the by-election, which uses the Single Transferable Vote (STV), where voters are asked to mark their ballot papers with 1, 2,3 etc against the names to show their order of preference.

The level of turn-out for council by-elections is often quite low. But council chief executive Andrew Kerr, who is the returning officer for the by-election, said: “The role of our councillors is extremely important to the democratic process, with responsibility for some of the most important decisions our city can face. Therefore, I would encourage as many residents as possible to participate in the by-election.”

Election officials visited BT Murrayfield, one of nine polling places being used for the by-election, to demonstrate the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system - where voters number candidates in order of preference - which is used in council elections in Scotland.

Why is a by-election being held?

The by-election has been caused by the resignation of SNP councillor Frank Ross, who was Edinburgh’s Lord Provost from 2017 until 2022. He was re-elected to the council as one of the three councillors for Corstorphine/Murrayfield in May 2022, but decided in December to stand down. His resignation came less than 24 hours after a full council meeting where the SNP group abstained in a vote on whether businesses in Roseburn, who had suffered months of disruption from major construction outside their shops, should be helped financially by the council. Councillor Ross had backed such support as the local councillor, but the SNP’s abstention meant the motion to pay compensation was defeated.

Councillor Ross had been a councillor since 2012 and served as SNP group leader for a year in the run-up to the 2017 council elections before being ousted by the current group leader Adam McVey.

Who are the candidates?

Fiona Bennett, Lib Dem; Pete Gregson, Independent; Elaine Miller, Independent.

As well as the five main parties, there are also candidates standing from the Scottish Family Party and the Scottish Libertarian Party and two independents.

In alphabetical order, the candidates are:

Fiona Bennett, Scottish Liberal Democrats

Richard Fettes, Scottish Family Party: Pro-Family, Pro-Marriage, Pro-Life

Richard Parker, Labour; Donald Rutherford, SNP; Chris Young, Green.

Hugh Findlay, Scottish Conservative and Unionist

Pete Gregson, Independent

Elaine Miller, Independent

Richard Parker, Scottish Labour Party

Richard Fettes, Scottish Family Party, and Hugh Findlay, Conservative.

Donald Rutherford, Scottish National Party (SNP)

Gary Smith, Scottish Libertarian Party

Chris Young, Scottish Green Party

What do we know about them?

Fiona Bennett (Lib Dem) is a former nurse, specialising in mental health care, who has also been a leading volunteer campaigner for refugees and currently works as a senior caseworker for Lib Dem MP Wendy Chamberlain. She lives in Edinburgh with her family.

Richard Fettes (Family Party) is a retired prison officer with 20 years service who joined the Scottish Family Party because of its support for traditional values.

Hugh Findlay (Con) got involved in politics as a result of joining the Better Together campaign during the 2014 independence referendum and is now chairman of the Edinburgh Conservative and Unionist Association. He says he wants the council to focus on the basics of fixing potholes, clearing out the drains and cleaning up the streets

Pete Gregson (Ind) has lived in the area for over 20 years and is a member of Murrayfield Community Council. He wants to stop the CCWEL cycle route going through Corstorphine, argues councillors too often do whatever council officials propose and promises he would “dig into the detail and make a difference”. He also proposes a student lodging scheme, where students could get accommodation and residents with spare rooms could be helped to earn cash.

Elaine Miller (Ind) is a comedian and a Fellow of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, specialising in women’s health. She staged a dramatic protest in the Scottish Parliament against the Gender Reform Bill, standing up in the public gallery as MSPs prepared to vote and and lifting her skirt to reveal fake pubic hair. Issues she has highlighted include protecting local bus services; compensation for Roseburn traders; and anti-social behaviour on Costorphine Hill, along the Water of Leith and in local parks.

Richard Parker (Lab) stood here at the council elections last May and campaigned in favour of compensation for the Roseburn traders despite his party’s stance. He is a teacher with experience of teaching in both mainstream and special education secondaries, and says he wants to be a champion for young people.

Donald Rutherford (SNP) is a full time carer for a disabled family member and lives in Carrick Knowe. He says he wants to end “political tribalism”.

Gary Smith (Libertarian) grew up in the area, got a science degree at Napier University and worked in IT elsewhere in the UK before returning to Edinburgh.

Chris Young (Green) is a landscape gardener and homemaker, has lived in the area for 20 years and is co-chair of Low Traffic Corstorphine. He lists his priorities for action as cleaner air, safer streets and improved green spaces, as well as reliable public transport and active travel infrastructure.

When is the vote?

The by-election takes place on Thursday March 9. Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm. Residents in Corstorphine, Murrayfield, Balgreen, Broomhall, Carrick Knowe, Ravelston and Roseburn who are aged 16 or over and have registered to vote can take part in the by-election. The ward currently has an electorate of 19,435.

Voters in the ward should have received polling cards giving them details of where to vote. The polling stations are at:

Murrayfield Parish Church Centre

Saughton Crescent Scout Hall

BT Murrayfield

Corstorphine St Ninian's Church Hall

St. Anne's Parish Church Hall

10th Craigalmond Scout Hall

Corstorphine Library

Carrick Knowe Parish Church Hall

Tesco Extra

When will the result be announced?

The counting of the votes will begin soon after the polls close at 10pm. Ballot boxes will be taken to the council offices at Waverley Court, where they will be opened and the votes counted. The result is expected not long after midnight.

Who is likely to win?

Although Frank Ross, whose resignation caused the by-election, was from the SNP, the favourite to get elected on Thursday is the Lib Dem candidate, Fiona Bennett.

That’s because at the last full council election in May last year – when Corstorphine/Murrayfield elected three councillors – the two Lib Dem candidates together received almost 50 per cent of first-preference votes in a field of seven candidates. And both were elected, giving the Lib Dems two out of the three seats available, with Councillor Ross taking the third. With just one seat to fill, a similar breakdown of votes this time would make Ms Bennett the most likely victor.

That would mean the Lib Dems held all three seats in the ward – something which has never happened under the current system.