Inverleith: First for Greens in big day

THE Inverleith ward saw the first Scottish Green Party candidate of the day elected.

Nigel Bagshaw, chairman of the local community council, was elected to the City Chambers for the first time with 14.9 per cent of the vote - coming third overall.

The outright winner was Lesley Hinds, the former Labour Lord Provost who won 25 per cent of the vote, while the Conservative’s Iain Whyte came second with 17.8 per cent and the SNP’s Gavin Barrie fourth.

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Cllr Bagshaw said: “I am absolutely elated. It’s taken a long time to come and we’ve been working very hard.

“It’s a real result for community politics. Quite a lot of people who voted for me knew me through the community council and know that I want to represent them at the council level.”

Alison Johnstone, Green MSP added: “This is a huge gain for us, but Nigel has worked incredibly hard on campaigns such as Save Inverleith Park. That hard work and commitment paid off today.”

Lesley Hinds, a former Lord Provost, said she was returned with an increased share of the vote, and similarly put the success of the Greens in Inverleith down to community involvement.

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“I think my vote is a result of the hard work I’ve done locally, and also my profile citywide as well. To see Nigel come in for the Greens justifies the work he’s done locally through the community council and I really look forward to working with him.

‘The LibDem vote is collapsing across the city and it was clear that Tim Mackay wouldn’t hold on.”

Iain Whyte, who was also returned again for the Conservatives in Inverleith: said: “It’s absolutely fantastic to be returning and I am very grateful to the people of Inverleith for supporting me once again.

“It’s interesting that the LibDem vote seems to have gone to a number of candidates in the ward but the Greens were the biggest winner from that. I think there vote collapse is as much about local issues as it is about national ones.”

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