Iain McGill is from Edinburgh and is currently director of the Harmony Employment Agency who provide social sector staff across Scotland & Northern Ireland.
Between leaving education & setting up his own business in 2005 Iain was an aid worker overseas, working in Albania, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique & Malawi learning Portuguese, Albanian & how to fly a hovercraft amongst other things.
Iain then worked in Edinburgh for a number of organisations working with the homeless in Edinburgh, including Bethany Christian Trust as Team Leader in their Care Shelter, 4 Square at their Cowgate Day & Night Centre & the Edinburgh Homelink Partnership as Special Projects Manager.
Iain was the Scottish Conservatives Holyrood Candidate for Edinburgh Central. He was previously Westminster Candidate in Edinburgh North & Leith for the 2010 General Election. He previously stood for Midlothian in the Westminster election in 2005, Airdrie & Shotts in the Scottish Parliamentary election in 2007 and for the City of Edinburgh Council Broughton Ward in 2003, Leith Walk Ward in 2007 and the Forth By-election in 2008.
Iain is a Community Councillor & Licensing Convener for the New Town & Broughton Community Council, sits on the technical committee of The Homeless World Cup and is a Trustee of The Yard, an Edinburgh charity providing adventure play opportunities for children and young people with special needs. He is also a Trustee of the McCraes Battalion Trust. Iain is a member of the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Small Business and the Entrepreneurial Exchange.
He is a member of Abbeyhill Baptist Church, plays & referees football, & in 2006 refereed the Homeless World Cup Final in Cape Town, South Africa. Iain has given up running marathons, now preferring duathlons, and is a member of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society.
We caught up with Iain between running his business, Tweeting (which he does a lot of!) and attending a council meeting as an observer.
Voters are being reminded that polling stations will be open this Thursday 18 August for the Edinburgh City Centre by-election.
The City of Edinburgh Council seat has become vacant following Councillor Beckett’s decision to leave to study at Harvard University.
Voters are reminded to check their polling cards for details of where they should cast their vote, as some venues have changed to avoid clashing with Fringe venues. Others have been relocated to avoid disrupting schools in the first week of term.
Polling stations (open from 7am to 10pm):
Lauriston Halls, Sacred Heart Church, 28 Lauriston Street;
Lothian Chambers, 59-63 George IV Bridge (relocated from Augustine United Church);
Waverley Court, Council headquarters, 4 East Market Street (relocated from Royal Mile Primary school and Panmure St Anne’s);
London Road Church Hall, 1A Easter Road (relocated from Abbeyhill Primary school);
Walpole Hall, St Mary’s Cathedral, Chester Street;
St Stephen’s Centre, 105 St Stephen Street;
St Paul’s and St George’s Church, 10 Broughton Street (relocated from St Mary’s RC Primary school);
The Apex Hotel, 90 Haymarket Terrace.
The election will use the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system where voters can rank candidates in order of preference rather than using a single cross. Voters can give a rank to as many or as few candidates as they like. The votes will be counted and the results announced on Friday 19 August.
The six candidates for the vacant seat in the City Centre ward are:
John Carson – Independent;
Karen Doran – Scottish Labour Party;
Alistair Hodgson – Scottish Liberal Democrats;
Melanie Main – Scottish Green Party;
Iain McGill – Scottish Conservative and Unionist;
Alasdair Rankin – Scottish National Party (SNP).
