Greens in Edinburgh have announced their candidates for the council elections in May with a promise to give Edinburgh back to its citizens.
The party is standing in all seventeen seats in the city and says it expects to increase its councillor numbers from the current three to between six and eight or more.
Existing councillors, Steve Burgess and Maggie Chapman are seeking re-election, while Councillor Alison Johnstone, now a Green MSP, is making way for community councillor Melanie Main to contest her council seat.
Other key candidates include:
– Nigel Bagshaw one of the leading lights in the Inverleith Park campaign and other local campaigns.
– Schools campaigner and housing policy expert, Gavin Corbett
– Well-known member of the Polish community, Julita Mazurek
– Chas Booth, part of the team which has secured funding for the UK’s first urban community-owned wind turbine in Leith;
– Newly-elected rector of Edinburgh University, Peter McColl
Convenor of the Green Group of Councillors, Steve Burgess, said:
“The Green impact on Edinburgh continues to grow. I am proud to campaign alongside such an outstanding group of candidates, with real roots in their communities and valuable skills to offer on the Council.
“This election is about local issues, not who is best placed to lead Scotland or what Scotland’s future should be. It’s about who best can represent each area; who can challenge the “we know best” attitude from the current SNP-Lib Dem adminstration; and who can give Edinburgh back to its citizens.
“Over the last five years Green councillors have stood up when it matters: for parents facing school closure; for new ways of involving local people in spending decisions; for local business not high street giants; and for public services run by public bodies.
“I know how much these priorities chime with people. That is why I am confident that record numbers of Green councillors will be elected this May and that we can play a critical role in shaping Edinburgh’s future.”
