‘EXPECTANT OF BELLEVUE’ EXAMINES THE ENTRAILS
Cannibalistic seagulls, AK47s, belly dancing and the Napoleonic Wars are the last things you’d expect to hear about at a Council election hustings. None of these terms appeared in one audience member’s Leith Walk bingo card but there’s certainly potential for next time.
A single candidate from each party was invited to the event on 12 April, with questions invited from the floor and by e-mail in advance.
Present were: Nick Gardner (Scottish Labour Party), Cristina Marga (Scottish Conservative and Unionist), Alan Melville (Independent), Susan Rae (Scottish Green Party), Lewis Ritchie (Scottish National Party, Harald Tobermann (Independent) and Vita Zaporozcenko (Scottish Liberal Democrats). Marion Donaldson (Scottish Labour Party) and Amy McNeese-Mechan (SNP) are also standing but had earlier agreed with running-mates not to crowd the platform. David Jacobsen (Socialist Labour Party) was invited but did not attend.
Squawks and squibs
The evening started with a bang, or a squawk, with a question about seagulls sent in from a sleepless Leith resident. After that the topics ranged from community cohesion to the closure of Leith Depot, plans for Picardy Place, Leith Walk walkability, fighting for Ward 12, childcare for the under-2s, homelessness, Easter Road and the colonies, Airbnb, introducing a tourist tax, surprising facts about candidates (light comic-relief question), trams and education. The issues were mostly kept local and there wasn’t a referendum in sight, well almost.
The night wasn’t all sparks, and some fireworks fizzled. There were plenty of ‘I agree with Nick’ moments, some for Nick Gardner, some for the other non-Nicks standing, but all in all it was an entertaining and well-informed evening. Here is a summary of the stand-out moments.
Nick Gardner (Scottish Labour Party)
High point – Regularly showing his experience throughout the evening, especially on homelessness, and battling with other councillors to make your ward a priority. His answer on Airbnb contained sensible ideas about having a 30/40-day licence to sublet your property whilst making small and relevant contributions to rates. He acknowledged that locals have been profiting for years from subletting their properties during the Festival period.
Low point – Saying he was not a fan of the trams. However, it was more an aesthetic dislike than a practical transport issue. Judging by his shirt, he would probably prefer a more extravagantly dressed mode of transport.
David Jacobson (Socialist Labour Party)
High point – Didn’t lose any votes but probably didn’t gain any either.
Low point – Near perfect impression of a chair.
Cristina Marga (Scottish Conservative and Unionist)
High point – She was committed and informed when it came to the tourist tax, and it was her best answer of the night.
Low point – Came across as quiet and occasionally nervous, but her confidence did grow a little as the night wore on. The local Conservative selection panel must have seen potential here, but too little of it was visible on this occasion.
Alan Melville (Independent)
High point – Melville’s sensitive side showed when talking about homelessness and how he has friends who have slept in hostels and even pitched tents in parks. He also produced a surprising fact about himself and how he was in Lahore when 9/11 happened. May have ruined it, though, when he said he doesn’t eat curry anymore.
Low point – The former UKIP candidate will struggle to shake off that association, but he probably doesn’t care. You get the feeling he likes being the panto villain and plays up to the part. As an independent candidate, he had the chance to blame the city’s bin problems on the Capital Coalition; he blamed the European Union instead. His ‘Elms on Elm Row’ line didn’t quite cut the mustard.
Susan Rae (Scottish Green Party)
High point – There’s no doubt Rae would campaign passionately for the community and her constituents. She was fervent in her answers about homelessness and the housing crisis as well as other local issues that affect the ward. Her ‘Take back the land!’ quote should be made into an election poster pronto. Her best line was answering a sort of heckle about who the ‘we’ was that she kept mentioning. ‘The Green Party’, was her stern retort, and it summed her up quite nicely.
Low point – Self-confessed Buffy the Vampire Slayer enthusiast.
Lewis Ritchie (Scottish National Party)
High point – His answer on education was deeply felt. His suggested programme was to reduce bureaucracy, reduce unnecessary testing, support teachers and think about the early years provision – and I’m sure the audience could not have agreed more. He also responded well to Melville’s put-down about what councillors actually do,. Ritchie credibly explained his working hours from 8am-10pm every day.
Low point – Of all the candidates, Ritchie appears the most polished politician. You get the feeeling there's a promotion waiting for him when the next election comes around.
Harald Tobermann (Independent)
High point – Tobermann was in charge and commanded respect – even challenging the Chair and questioners when a non-ward related issue sneaked in. ‘It’s Leith Walk ward, not Leith’, he insisted. He was funny and articulate and his ‘Germans are not renowned for their sense of humour’ was delivered with perfect timing. He appears to genuinely care about the area, and showed a sensible approach to local issues affecting constituents. As an independent, he’s not running for the fun of it.
Low point – His ‘Get it done and get it done properly!’ tagline is no “Yes we can!”
Vita Zaporozcenko (Scottish Liberal Democrats)
High point – The homelessness question stirred strong feelings among all the candidates, and Zaporozcenko declared that she could write a PhD on the subject. She had to settle for a one-minute outline. She beat Rae, the Green candidate, to the first mention of air pollution. The Lib Dems will happily pinch votes from anyone.
Low point – How do you solve the seagull crisis in Edinburgh? Tell everyone it could be worse … in Aberdeen the seagulls shoplift!
To see what others had to say about Wednesday’s hustings, search Twitter using the hashtags #LeithWalkHust and #LeithWalkHustings.
Whatever your political convictions or misgivings, don’t forget to vote on 4 May.
Photos: @fergusboden (top-right), Maria Hart (bottom-centre), Rhys Fullerton (everything else).
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