The SNP candidate for Edinburgh South West has urged voters across the constituency to ensure their voice is heard, highlighting postal ballots that have yet to be sent can be returned to local polling stations until 10pm on Thursday.
Joanna Cherry has urged voters not to lose their voice, following the chaotic calling of the election by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, which gave no regard to the school holiday schedule in Scotland. Many voters are now on holiday and did not receive a postal vote in time, and others will have received their postal vote late and have not yet returned it via post. (Such postal voters can hand in their voting papers in the sealed envelope to the City Chambers or their polling station on Thursday.)
Ms Cherry responded to our observation that the Scottish Labour candidate says the election is going to be very close between SNP and Labour when she said: “In 2019 I won the seat with a majority of nearly 12,000 and the Conservatives were in second place and Labour were a distant third. So Labour have a long way to come to beat me in this election.
“But I do recognise that it is likely that Labour are going to be my main competitor. Having said that, I am noticing that the SNP support seems to be holding up. I also have a lot of support from people who aren’t natural SNP voters. Because of my high profile during all the Brexit shenanigans, my successful legal action to stop Boris Johnson’s unlawful prorogation of Parliament and my advocacy for women’s rights and for lesbian, gay and bisexual rights – a lot of people respect me for having the courage to speak out on issues that other people have not had the courage to speak out on. So that makes me cautiously optimistic.”
When Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, called the election, SNP Leader John Swinney warned that the clash with the Scottish school holidays would risk some people losing their vote. Scotland’s First Minister has now written to the UK Prime Minister over concerns about the delayed delivery of postal votes in Scotland after Rishi Sunak’s official spokesperson shamefully dismissed the public’s concerns.
Ms Cherry said: “The shambolic nature of the Prime Minister’s calling of the election – which completely ignored that most Scottish schools would be finished for the summer holidays – opens a huge risk that some voters in Edinburgh South West could lose their vote at this election. Many people have already contacted me angry and upset that they may be disenfranchised.
“If you received your postal ballot paper late, or have not yet returned it, it can be taken to your nearest polling station until 10pm on polling day. You’ll be asked to complete a form to confirm who you are – and your vote will be counted. You can ask a relative to drop it off if you need to.
“This election is very close and with your support, voting SNP can lock the Tories out and deliver a future made in Scotland, for Scotland. I urge people in Edinburgh South West not to lose your voice at this crucial election.”
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
