As the SNP candidate in this by-election, I am proud to be standing for a party that has frozen Council Tax for the past four years, built the first Council houses in a generation and restored responsibility to the city’s finances.
Last year, for the first time in 15 years, we balanced the City’s budget overall and restored the Council’s reserves, run down by Labour. We are ambitious for our city and its people, but we are also responsible and practical. The prime example of this is our sustained opposition to Labour's disastrous tram project. We have voted against it four times on the Council, and called for the people to decide the future of the trams in a referendum. But, as all the other parties voted against us, Edinburgh has been condemned to paying off hundreds of millions of pounds for a generation.
I am proud to have former Councillor David Beckett on my campaign team, and I wish him well when he takes up his studies at Harvard University. Having spoken to David and many City Centre residents, my priorities for the City Centre ward are:
- tackling anti-social behaviour, to continue to make Edinburgh safer for all
- preserving Edinburgh’s unique beauty and continuing our proud status as a World Heritage City
- enabling local businesses to thrive, and striking a fairer balance in provision for local residents and for tourists
- promoting a cleaner and greener city, building on the progress of recent years.
If elected, I intend to work hard for City Centre residents. So, if you would like to give me the opportunity to deliver for you, please vote SNP in this crucial by-election.