Lesley Hinds is a long-standing councillor, former Lord Provost and was the first politician to announce her candidacy for the 2016 Scottish Parliamentary elections.
She first became a Councillor in 1984 and now represents the Inverlieth ward as a senior councillor and Transport Convener. Little wonder then that she has opened her campaign office right next to a bus stop on Great Junction Street! The Edinburgh Reporter was at the opening earlier today when she was accompanied by Ian Murray MP for Edinburgh South, and a band of party workers and activists.
The Edinburgh Reporter #SP16 Lesley Hinds Edinburgh N&L from Phyllis Stephen on Vimeo.
Lesley has held numerous positions on the Council, including Council Leader.
As a qualified primary school teacher and mum of three, hers has been a busy life outside of politics too. In addition, she is a past Chair of NHS Health Scotland, a member of Unite trade union, CND, the Co-op Party and Scotmid.
She has extensive experience of board membership in a personal capacity, as well as representing the Council in numerous public and private sector organisations, such as Edinburgh’s Telford College, Pilton Partnership, Edinburgh’s Mela, Dance Base, Edinburgh Fairtrade City, One City Trust and the City of Literature.
The Edinburgh Reporter asked her at the time of her initial appointment in 2012 as Transport Convener if this was the ‘poisoned chalice’ of all convenerships. At the time she emphatically said no and then proceeded to get on with the job.
She made it her priority to deliver the tram line and since then has proceeded to make changes to speeds on our city’s streets. But all of this has meant that she has had to be quite thick-skinned in light of much public criticism, particularly on social media. A training ground therefore for becoming an MSP and this is the next step she hopes to take this year.
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