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Council elections 2022

(540 posts)
  • Started 3 years ago by Stickman
  • Latest reply from chdot
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  1. Stickman
    Member

    Probably worth starting a thread on this.

    https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/politics/council/six-long-serving-edinburgh-labour-councillors-will-not-seek-re-election-next-year-3403852

    Former Lord Provost Donald Wilson, education convener Ian Perry, planning vice-convener Maureen Child and Ricky Henderson, who chairs the Integration Joint Board overseeing health and social care, have all decided not to seek re-election next May, along with transport vice-convener Karen Doran and outspoken backbencher Gordon Munro.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  2. crowriver
    Member

    Hm, trouble at t'mill in Edinburgh Labour Party? Aye, some of these councillors are getting on in years, but who will their replacements be? Starmerite empty suits perchance?

    Presume from the Tories, Webber will be offski. Independents such as Gavin Barrie, Clare Bridgman, Lewis Ritchie and Ashley Graczyk probably don't stand much chance of getting re-elected. Will anyone in the SNP ranks be retiring? Will we finally see the back of chameleon taxi firm and Estonian bar owner Steve Cardownie?

    Gonna be a lot of change goin' down. Fo' shuw.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  3. Frenchy
    Member

    Will we finally see the back of chameleon taxi firm and Estonian bar owner Steve Cardownie?

    We might not have seen the back of him, but he's not been a councillor since 2017. And given his support for the Alba party earlier this year, I suspect that won't be changing any time soon.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  4. gembo
    Member

    Herr Doctor going to give it another go?

    3 of the four going are pensioners I think

    Posted 3 years ago #
  5. crowriver
    Member

    @Frency, gotcha! I had no idea he'd shuffled off the council. Must be because he's wont to air his opinions in the Evening Snooze now and again. I assumed he was still a councillor.

    Not to worry though - John McLellan is doing overtime as the gobby reactionary stirrer of resident's unfounded fears. I daresay he'll be back again next time...

    Posted 3 years ago #
  6. Stickman
    Member

    https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/politics/edinburgh-green-councillor-to-step-down-after-being-made-scottish-government-special-adviser-3427526

    Edinburgh councillor Gavin Corbett has been appointed a special adviser to the two Green ministers in the Scottish Government and will step down from the council next month.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  7. acsimpson
    Member

    Will that trigger a by-election?

    Posted 3 years ago #
  8. SRD
    Moderator

    what a shame. i wonder if that is why he deleted his twitter account?

    Posted 3 years ago #
  9. Frenchy
    Member

    Will that trigger a by-election?

    Less than six months to the next election anyway, so I don't think so.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  10. chdot
    Admin

    By-elections
    A by-election takes place when an elected person:

    dies
    resigns
    is bankrupt
    sentenced to prison for more than 12 months

    https://www.mygov.scot/elections/local-council-elections-and-by-elections

    Not very helpful

    Posted 3 years ago #
  11. Wout Van Aerthur Seat
    Member

    The date that he will step down (7 November) has been selected very carefully to avoid a by-election.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  12. Stickman
    Member

  13. gembo
    Member

    Praise Be

    Posted 3 years ago #
  14. acsimpson
    Member

    Or maybe not:

    "...announced his intention to concentrate on his media and academic work."

    More time to write drivel for the chipwrapper.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  15. gembo
    Member

    Academic?

    He shows no rigour in his journalism

    Posted 3 years ago #
  16. Stickman
    Member

    https://theedinburghreporter.co.uk/2021/11/tory-councillor-referred-to-ethics-watchdog/

    Only 34 councillors took up that offer, with some complaining about the timing of the sessions made available for them to read the report. During a visit one Tory councillor is said to have shouted at a junior female member of the legal team.

    Ms Tanner said earlier: “There was only one councillor who I believe, although I was not present, crossed the line of what I would consider acceptable behaviour in a professional context in terms of shouting at a junior female member of the inquiry team and a letter is being sent about that separately.”

    Councillor McLellan told The Edinburgh Reporter: “I referred myself to the Standards Commision. These are entirely unsubstantiated allegations which I fully deny. I referred myself to ‘standards’, in order that I can be independently exonerated which I am confident I will be.”

    Posted 3 years ago #
  17. Stickman
    Member

    Maclellan complains about restrictions being placed on what he can say as a councillor. He knows exactly how to get around those restrictions without falling foul of the Standards Commissioner.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  18. Stickman
    Member

  19. chdot
    Admin

    "As an administration we have tried really hard to balance the views of local communities and the responsibility we have to make progress towards and environment that more people are comfortable with, that more people want.

    "If we are honestly saying we're going to consult on something and take the results and simply apply them irrespective of the consequences and the fact it would take us further away from a greener, healthier city then what's the point of having councillors?

    https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/politics/council/edinburgh-transport-convener-lesley-macinnes-denies-she-is-waging-a-war-on-car-3455137

    Posted 3 years ago #
  20. chdot
    Admin

  21. Yodhrin
    Member

    Does casting a political banner as "abusive" not strike anyone else as a little sinister?

    By all means dispute it, refute the claims made, but all I see on there are specific complaints about her actions(or purported lack thereof) as a councillor. As a polity we have to be extremely careful that politicians don't use legitimate efforts to minimise genuinely abusive behaviour as a smokescreen to allow them to shut down normal, democratic criticism.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  22. gembo
    Member

    Looks like a nasty smear to me. Fake news even. In an election where maybe 30 per cent of the electorate will vote. This is not Trump V Biden.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  23. Yodhrin
    Member

    Looks like specific claims that can be refuted or otherwise on their merits to me, so engage with it on that basis IMO. Casting everything as "abuse" and "smears" or whatever other emotive term just smacks of people not wanting to put in the effort to argue the point, but democratic politics depends on our willingness to do that even when we suspect that the opponent might not be arguing in good faith, or it descends into vapid team sports.

    Posted 3 years ago #
  24. gembo
    Member

    Looks like the ramblings of an unhinged mind to me

    Posted 3 years ago #
  25. MediumDave
    Member

    Potentially a campaign rules violation here, since there's no statement of who put the banner up and it's clearly pushing a political position.

    Plus it's flyposting:

    https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/file/28952/guidelines-for-display-of-posters

    As for the claims themselves [citation needed] as they say

    Posted 3 years ago #
  26. Stickman
    Member

    https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/politics/council/edinburgh-council-is-absolutely-toxic-atmosphere-says-departing-tory-councillor-3516322

    No doubt the atmosphere is toxic, but little self-reflection in this article about the behaviour of his own group.

    Posted 2 years ago #
  27. chdot
    Admin

    Useful word toxic. Not sure his usage is the same as mine might be.

    Ignoring the fact that this is about our ‘interest area’, this actually sounds quite encouraging -


    "The way meetings are chaired, there is complete and utter disrespect shown to opposition councillors on that committee. Their opinions are not taken on board, there is no room for any discussion, it's just a case of ramming through the officers' and the administration's agenda – because they have largely become one and the same."

    Whether officers are actually doing what elected councillors want or putting forward good ideas, is, perhaps, not too important. It means there is more chance of stuff getting done. Of course ’we’ often despair (quite rightly) at the pace of activity/change, but it’s (apparently) a reassuring change from times when officials actively ignored or stalled on policy decisions.

    In short, a councillor from a party that (largely) wishes to maintain the status quo, is upset that people from three other parties seem to be working together.

    Of course the fact that ALL councillors have been elected and therefore are (to some extent) ‘representative’ seem to have passed him by…

    Posted 2 years ago #
  28. neddie
    Member

    Pretty desperate and nasty stuff from the Tories. I guess they didn't like it that their misogyny was called out by Lesley. As well as their deflection, stalling and blocking tactics

    Posted 2 years ago #
  29. acsimpson
    Member

    I'm not sure how he expected people to constructively work with a party whose sole contribution to SFP was to repeatedly demand it was all removed. No suggestion that some of it was working or that parts could stay but simply to demand that it was returned to the status quo.

    That isn't a footing which will leave anyone able to work with you who doesn't entirely agree.

    Posted 2 years ago #
  30. Stickman
    Member

    EV lobbyist standing for the Tories in Colinton/Fairmilehead.

    https://twitter.com/cuthbertneil/status/1481227071590387714?s=21

    He has previously made the usual noises about supporting cycling.

    Posted 2 years ago #

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