Council elections 2022 – Katrina Faccenda – Leith Ward

Name – Katrina Faccenda

Party – Scottish Labour

Ward – Leith

I worked in tourism for more than 30 years. Guiding groups of tourists around Europe, then 20 years in Italy and more recently here in Scotland having qualified as a STGA Blue Badge Guide.

Due to the pandemic I now work full time at Holyrood for an MSP.

I was the Labour Candidate for Edinburgh Northern and Leith in the 2021 Scottish Parliament Elections.

I will campaign for the council to adopt a community wealth building approach which is an innovative approach to managing the local economy and here in Scotland has been pioneered in North Ayrshire.

It prioritises wealth-retention, keeping services in-house and making local communities benefit through council house building, improved services and even energy production through council owned solar and wind farms. 

We need proper funding from central government but we need to take control of our own local economy.Labour councillors went into a coalition to try to do their best for Edinburgh, but that has not always worked out due to the unwillingness of the SNP to fight chronic underfunding from Holyrood. 

The Poverty Commission gave a voice to those often forgotten in Edinburgh and set out a strategy guided by those living in poverty.  It is an important piece of work but it is just a starting point in that it signposts the way forward to eradicate poverty in Edinburgh.

Something that people may find surprising? I am a big fan of Eastenders.