Heather Astbury is one of the few candidates standing for the Renew Party at this election.
Ms Astbury explained her relatively new political party and how that aligns with her own beliefs : “Well, I joined the Renew party when it formed about two years ago. It’s a party that is made up of people that are outside of politics.
“And we kind of all came together because we were really disillusioned with what’s going on in politics at the moment with the the career politicians and the tribalism of the political parties.
“We want to get away from all of that we want to – our kind of motto is reject the lies, reform Britain, reform politics, rebuild Britain. It’s key for us that politicians are genuinely representing the people that put them in power. It’s got to be people first country first, not party first.
“We as a party have campaigned against Brexit. And we continue to think that Brexit isn’t a good idea, but our stance is not for an immediate revoking of Article 50 it is for a second referendum.
“I’ve spent quite a long time in Edinburgh I was here as a student. I did my post grad journalism qualification at Napier and I did my post grad public relations qualification at Queen Margaret. And then I, you know, got married, had a family lived in France for a while, lived in Dubai for a while, and came back to Edinburgh in 2013 because I want my son to be educated here and I want him to to grow up here.
“I now run my own PR company, which I started in Edinburgh in June 2018 and I work with clients in Edinburgh and around the country.
“So the things that are really important for me personally and the party are tackling inequality. We are a rich city. And that wealth isn’t shared amongst everybody in this city There are too many people in what is a rich city that are living in poverty There are too many people who are having to use food banks, even though they’re working and I just think that’s a disgrace.
“One of the things is about housing that we need affordable housing in Edinburgh. And we want to see an end to this sort of real focus on housing provision for students and the proliferation of Airbnbs.”
Edinburgh North and Leith candidates 2019
ASTBURY, Heather Jane – Renew
BROCK, Deidre Leanne – Scottish National Party (SNP)
BURGESS, Steve – Scottish Green Party
MCGILL, Iain – Scottish Conservative and Unionist
MUNRO, Gordon John – Labour and Co-operative Party
SPEIRS, Robert – Brexit Party
WILSON, Bruce Roy – Scottish Liberal Democrats
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
