We spoke to Joanna Cherry just after the SNP General Election launch at Dynamic Earth.
She explained that she is very much invested in the local community, in being an MP and also in stopping Brexit. She won the seat with a majority of 8135 votes in 2015 and a reduced margin of 1097 at the snap election in 2017. This was the constituency of former Labour Chancellor Alistair Darling who now sits in the House of Lords.
She said : “I’m hoping to be reelected by the people over emphasise West as a member of parliament for that constituency I’ve been in since May 2015. This will be my third general election.
“Before I was elected in 2015 I was in practice as an advocate at the Scottish bar for 20 years and I specialised in personal injury cases, medical negligence cases and mental health cases.
But I also spent three years as a specialist sex crimes prosecutor, working to secure convictions in the field of historic sex abuse and rape and other serious sexual offences.
“There are a number of issues that really matter to my constituents. In the past, I’ve had a very strong record of campaigning against local bank closures and standing up for local services for my constituents
“At the moment, there’s a real issue about Ministry of Defence cuts and the closure of Redford Barracks and what’s going to happen with that land. That’s something I’ve worked very closely with the local community on.
“I also have a strong record of standing up for my constituents concerns using my power as a member of parliament, resolving benefits claims resolving immigration issues, and supporting at pensioners and their fight for pension justice, particularly the WASPI women of Edinburgh South West.”
The Edinburgh Reporter said : “Clearly Brexit is top of the agenda. But what are the other national issues are really affecting us generally?”
Ms Cherry replied : “Brexit is at the top of the agenda because 72% of people who voted in Edinburgh Southwest voted to remain in the European Union. And I’ve got a strong record in leading the campaign to make sure that Scotland remains in the European Union.
“But an issue very much linked to that is the position of the NHS and Scotland. Now of course the NHS is devolved. But we’ve heard Boris Johnson say at Prime Minister’s Questions that he might want to take back control of the NHS in Scotland. We feel that the NHS is under threat from Boris Johnson.
He has a history of favouring privatisation and he also wants to put the NHS up for grabs and any trade deal with the States.
“So if people want to defend Scotland’s NHS and indeed the NHS across the United Kingdom, then they should vote SNP.”
Edinburgh South West candidates 2019
BALLANTINE, David Craig – Brexit Party
BROWN, Mev – Social Democratic Party Scotland
CHERRY, Joanna Catherine – Scottish National Party (SNP)
COOKE, Sophie – Scottish Labour Party
INGLIS, Tom – Scottish Liberal Democrats
LAIDLAW, Callum Arron – Scottish Conservative and Unionist
PARKER, Ben – Scottish Green Party
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