Home advantage for four city councillors!
LGiU (Local Government Information Unit) Scotland and sponsora CCLA have unveiled the shortlist for the 2019 Councillor Awards.
For the second year running, the Councillor Awards have been showcasing the best of local government. The Councillor Awards are the only national awards ceremony to celebrate the achievements of individual councillors across Scotland.
Organisers say competition was extremely tight this year with nearly 100 nominations received.
Four Edinburgh councillors are in the running for awards. Labour councillor Karen Doran is on the shortlist in the Environmental Impact category, while Inverleith Conservative councillor Max Mitchell features in the New Councillor of the Year category.
At the other end of the spectrum, two long-standing municipal stalwarts go head to head in the Lifetime Contribution category. Lib Dem Robert Aldridge and Labour’s Maureen Child face competition from three others.
Some of the award categories for 2019 include Innovation and Digital and Champion for Education alongside the coveted Leader of the Year and New Councillor of the Year awards. The full shortlist and a list of categories are included below.
Following the overwhelming success of the 2018 Awards, nominations opened in early September.
The winners will be decided by a panel of judges and announced at this year’s ceremony taking place from 6-9pm on Thursday 28th November at Edinburgh City Chambers.
This year’s awards are made possible thanks to the generous support of founding sponsors fund managers CCLA.
Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive, LGiU said: “For the second year running, LGiU is proud to honour the hard work of councillors across Scotland that so often goes unrecognised.
“This year’s shortlist showcases the achievements of the best and brightest councillors across Scotland. These councillors deliver for their communities in increasingly challenging and hostile times. Despite all of that and more, their determination and resolve has left their communities safer, stronger and healthier, thanks to their efforts.
“We would like to congratulate all of those councillors shortlisted and look forward to announcing the winners at the end of November.”
The categories for the 2019 Councillor Awards (further details below) are:
- Urban Community Champion
- Rural Community Champion
- Innovation and Digital
- Champion for Education
- Environmental Impact
- Lifetime Contribution
- New Councillor of the Year
- Leader of the Year
And the short-listed councillors are:
2019 Cllr Awards Shortlist:
Rural Community Champion
Cllr Euan Jardine – Scottish Borders Council
Cllr Glen Reid – Aberdeenshire Council
Cllr Uisdean Robertson – Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
Cllr Elena Witham – East Ayrshire Council
Urban Community Champion
Cllr Angela Convery – East Renfrewshire Council
Cllr Chris Cullen – South Ayrshire Council
Cllr Lynne Devine – Angus Council
Cllr Paul Garner – Falkirk Council
Cllr David MacDonald – East Renfrewshire Council
Innovation and Digital
Cllr Peter Henderson – South Ayrshire Council
Cllr Mandy Morgan – Glasgow City Council
Cllr Gordon Murray – Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
Cllr Shona Haslam – Scottish Borders Council
Champion for Education
Cllr Stewart Hunter – Dundee City Council
Cllr David MacDonald – East Renfrewshire Council
Cllr Fay Sinclair – Fife Council
Cllr John Wheeler – Aberdeen City Council
Environmental Impact
Cllr Chris Cullen – South Ayrshire Council
Cllr Karen Doran – City of Edinburgh Council
Cllr Scott Hamilton – Scottish Borders Council
Cllr Ross Vettraino – Fife Council
Cllr Martha Wardrop – Glasgow City Council
Lifetime Contribution
Cllr Robert Aldridge – City of Edinburgh Council
Cllr David Alexander – Fife Council
Cllr William Buchanan – Falkirk Council
Cllr Paul Carey – Glasgow City Council
Cllr Maureen Child – City of Edinburgh Council
New Councillor of the Year
Cllr Elaine Ballantyne – Glasgow City Council
Cllr David Barratt – Fife Council
Cllr Michael Cullen – Glasgow City Council
Cllr Joe Fagan – South Lanarkshire Council
Cllr Max Mitchell – City of Edinburgh Council
Leader of the Year
Cllr David Alexander – Fife Council
Cllr John Alexander – Dundee City Council
Cllr Shona Haslam – Scottish Borders Council
Cllr Douglas Lumsden – Aberdeen City Council