Edinburgh council elections 2022: ward-by-ward analysis: Southside/Newington

Ward 15: Southside/Newington

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Two of the councillors here are standing down – Labour's Ian Perry, who has been on the council since 1988, and Alison Dickie, elected last time for the SNP but who resigned from the group in January amid tensions over her championing of whistleblowers who had complained about the council.

Cllr Perry has been education convener for the past five years and until her resignation Cllr Dickie was education vice-convener.

Representation in the ward has been remarkably consistent – three of the four current councillors served here since the start of the multi-member system in 2007.

And there are just five candidates chasing the four seats, so only one will go home disappointed after the count on May 6.

Last time Tory Cameron Rose got the most first preferences, but there was less than 0.5 per cent separating the SNP, Greens and Labour, who all got their candidates elected too.

Cllr Rose and Green Steve Burgess are both standing again this time.

Labour's Ian Perry and former SNP councillor Alison Dickie were chair and vice chair of education as well as representing the same ward. Picture: Alistair Linford.

Labour's new candidate is Tim Pogson, who has been chair of Southside community council, works for a housing charity and stood last time in Liberton/Gilmerton, when he came within 287 votes of getting elected instead of transport convener Lesley Macinnes.

The SNP has chosen Simita Kumar, a health professional working in immunisation.

And the Lib Dem is Pauline Flannery, who works in theatre.

The ward includes St Leonard's, Sciennes, The Grange, Newington, Prestonfield and Cameron Toll.

2017: Conservatives 26.9 per cent; SNP 20.5 per cent; Greens 20.4 per cent; Labour 20.1 per cent; Lib Dems 12.1 per cent.

Current councillors: Cameron Rose (Con), Alison Dickie (Ind), Steve Burgess (Green), Ian Perry (Lab).

Electorate 23,949

Candidates

BURGESS, Steve – Scottish Green Party

FLANNERY, Pauline – Scottish Liberal Democrats

KUMAR, Simita – Scottish National Party (SNP)

POGSON, Tim – Labour and Co-operative Party

ROSE, Cameron – Scottish Conservative and Unionist