Liberal Democrat Kein Joseph McKay have won the Fountainbridge /Craiglockhart by-election – but fewer than ONE in THREE people chose to cast their vote..
The result declaration was made in the early hours of this morning (Friday 27 June) by Returning Officer for Edinburgh, Paul Lawrence.
Returning Officer for Edinburgh Paul Lawrence, said: “Thanks to everyone who took part in this by-election. I would like to welcome Kevin as a new councillor, and I look forward to working with him. Kevin will now have a key role in representing his constituents on matters affecting the ward and the wider city.
“My thanks also go to our elections team and other council colleagues who have been working hard to deliver this by-election smoothly and securely.”
The current electorate is 18,945. The turnout for the by-election was 33.1% (6,264).
The by-election was initiated by the sudden death of Labour councillor Val Walker in April. Labour actually came first in the first preference vote, beating the Lib-Dem candidate by just 14 votes, but lost out in subsequent rounds of the transferable vote PR system.
Labour continues to lead the city council, however, despite now having just ten of the city’s 62 councillors.
Move to Plaza News, Unit 23-26 Upper Ground Floor Level, Westside Plaza, Edinburgh, EH14 2SW
Monday to Saturday: 9am – 5.30pm
51 hours of Post Office service per week
Branch would open on Saturday afternoons
Experienced postmasters
Post Office is proposing to relocate Wester Hailes Post Office to a new location – Plaza News, Unit 23-26 Upper Ground Floor Level, Westside Plaza, Edinburgh, EH14 2SW.
Wester Hailes Post Office, which is currently directly managed by Post Office, would be run by our new retail franchise partner at the new location within the same shopping centre.
Father and son, Mohammed and Aamir Arshad have run Plaza News, a hardware and convenience store, since 2016. Previously they ran Whitecraig Post Office and off-licence store in Musselburgh for six years.
Post Office Limited recently announced it is moving to a fully franchised network, as part of our wider commitment to deliver a “New Deal for Postmasters”. Over 99% of the Post Office network is already successfully operated on a franchise basis by carefully selected retail partners.
We are confident this would create a long-term, sustainable future for post offices in communities across the UK, including Wester Hailes.
The same range of services would still be available, including an internal ATM.
The opening hours would be Monday to Saturday: 9am – 5.30pm. This would be an extra 5 hours and 30 minutes of Post Office service a week including Saturday afternoon and earlier opening on a Tuesday morning than currently for the convenience of customers.
Wester Hailes Post Office would have two open plan serving positions at the retail counter.
There is a car park at the shopping center with dedicated disabled parking bays on upper level where the proposed branch would be located.
Current Post Office employees have the opportunity to TUPE across to continue to work at the relocated branch.
Consultation will close on 13 August. Customers can share their views during the consultation online at postofficeviews.co.uk with the branch code 018824.
Submissions can also be made via email to comments@postoffice.co.uk, by post to Freepost YOUR COMMENTS, or by telephone 03452 66 01 15 or Textphone 03457 22 33 55.
Scotland-born charity reaches global goal FIVE YEARS EARLY!
A WORLD-LEADING surgical charity is marking a major milestone in its efforts to transform global access to children’s surgery, celebrating the opening of both its 100th and 101st dedicated operating rooms.
Kids Operating Room, headquartered in Edinburgh, will hit its 100th operating room on Tuesday 24 June with the opening of a new high-tech and specialised surgical theatre in Gaborone, Botswana.
Just two days later, the team is set to open its 101st facility in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, underscoring the rapid pace and sustained impact of the charity’s work.
The charity, founded in 2018 by husband-and-wife, Garreth and Nicola Wood MBE, set a bold target to install 100 operating rooms for children in low and middle-income countries by 2030. That goal has now been met five years ahead of schedule.
Its paediatric rooms, often the only specialised spaces for children’s surgery in a country, have to date enabled more than 680,000 life-changing operations, across Africa, South and Central America, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
Dr Kutlo Moalosi, Head of Paediatric Surgery at Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone, said: “This new operating room will be truly life-changing for children in Botswana. It allows us to treat conditions earlier, avoid complications and help children grow up healthy and strong.
“More than that, it provides hope. It signals that children here matter just as much as children anywhere else in the world.”
Nicola Wood, Co-Founder, said: “To have completed 100 dedicated operating rooms is a deeply emotional moment for all of us.
“This is not just a number. It represents lives saved, disabilities prevented and a global movement that believes every child deserves access to safe surgery.”
The 100th operating room was made possible by the philanthropic support of entrepreneur Steve Lansdown and his wife, who have been central to the charity’s wider surgical initiative across Botswana.
Each Kids Operating Room is designed to create capacity for around 2,000 lifesaving or life-changing operations every year. The global network now enables approximately 200,000 procedures annually.
Working across more than 40 countries, Kids Operating Room has embedded permanent surgical infrastructure, trained clinical teams, and delivered vital resources to regions where paediatric surgical care was previously unavailable or inconsistent.
As well as providing the infrastructure for safe surgery, the charity ensures its operating rooms are uplifting and child-focused, with colourful murals and specialist paediatric surgical equipment designed to create a calming environment.
The charity’s approach is centred on sustainability and local empowerment. Its solar-powered surgical systems help hospitals operate safely during blackouts and its training model builds long-term capacity in each region.
Garreth Wood, Co-founder and Executive Chairman, said: “When Nicola and I founded Kids Operating Room, it was with a vision that no child should suffer or die simply because they were born in the wrong place.
“This milestone shows what can be achieved through collaboration, local leadership and relentless commitment. But we are not stopping here and have already re-focused on how we build on this success, so no child is left behind.
“We believe surgery is not a luxury, it’s a fundamental right. The children we serve deserve dignity, opportunity and care. This is the work we’ll continue to do until every nation can provide for its children independently.”
David Cunningham, Chief Executive at Kids Operating Room added: “Since we began this work, every 27 days our team has opened a new operating theatre, always in complex and/or low-resource settings.
“These are world-class, solar powered surgical facilities but before they’re deployed the hospitals have to be surveyed, the staff interviewed, the patient demand assessed, and the funds raised. Then, despite often working around conflict and natural disasters, our amazing people build amazing facilities.
“I could not be more grateful to everyone who has contributed to this success and look forward to continuing to scale that impact in the years to come.”
Measures to protect the public and establish industry standards
New proposals to improve safety and standards in the non-surgical cosmetic procedures sector have been set out as the Scottish Government publishes its response to a consultation on the issue.
The proposals, informed by over 2,200 responses and broad stakeholder engagement, intends to introduce a minimum age of 18 for all procedures and classify treatments into three distinct groups which will be regulated to reflect the associated risk:
group 1 procedures – such as microneedling and non-ablative laser treatments – will require both a premises licence and individual practitioner licences issued by local authorities
group 2 procedures – including injectables like Botox® and dermal fillers – will have to be supervised by a qualified health care professional in a setting regulated by Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS)
group 3 procedures – for instance, breast and buttock augmentation – will have to be performed by a qualified healthcare professional in an HIS-regulated setting
The Scottish Government will take forward a combination of primary and secondary legislation to implement the proposals.
A new Bill regulating Group 2 and Group 3 procedures will be introduced later this year. Secondary legislation under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 will establish the licensing regime for Group 1 procedures.
Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said: “It is deeply upsetting to hear of cases where people have suffered as a result of non-surgical cosmetic procedures going wrong.
“The current gaps in regulation mean that anyone can perform most of these procedures without the need for any formal training or qualifications. These proposals reflect our determination to protect the public and ensure high standards across this growing industry.
“I am particularly heartened by the broad support for action to make the sector safer, and we will continue to work closely with Healthcare Improvement Scotland, local authorities, and the wider industry to support a smooth and effective implementation.”
High School student wins milk bottle brand design competition for this year’s Royal Highland Show
Firrhill High School pupil, Lucy Bell, saw her winning milk bottle design featured at this year’s Royal Highland Show, after competing against 47 other entries as part of a school’s competition launched by the organisers of Scotland’s largest outdoor event and leading agricultural Show.
Secondary school pupils (S1- S4) from across Scotland, were invited to design their own milk bottle brand by RHASS, the producers of the event, in partnership with the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET), to support this year’s Show theme of Education and Learning and RHET’s Year of Dairy, with the aim of placing skills, knowledge, and innovation front and centre throughout the Show.
Lucy’s winning milk bottle design, which features a cow as part of her ‘Milk Magic’ and ‘Udderly Delicious’ branding, was printed on a one litre glass bottle by Seaways Services (UK) Ltd, which provides a range of resources to the dairy sector, and was showcased at the Scottish Milk Championships during the Show.
As part of her prize, Lucy received free tickets to the Show on Sunday 22nd June for her family and friends, as well as a keepsake of her design.
Lucy Bell, who is in second year at Firrhil High School, said: “I wanted to design something that helped to get a simple message across about the health benefits of milk and that it was a brand of milk that was udderly delicious and something to be enjoyed!
“I’m over the moon that my design was selected and thoroughly enjoyed going to the Royal Highland Show for the very first time!”
The top ten shortlisted design entries from the competition were showcased across the four-day event. These included other Firrhill High School pupils: Nemika Bandara, Olivia MacDougall, Alison Forbes and Alex Bian, as well as Oxgangs Primary pupils who took part in a rosette design competition for those from P1-P7: Rayyan Amir and Jack Jurasinski.
David Tennant, Head of Royal Highland Show and one of the judges of the competition, said: “A huge congratulations to Lucy! Her design really stood out to the judges for it’s simple but effective design.
“We all agreed that it was a brand that we could imagine on the supermarket shelves and who knows, maybe we will see Lucy’s artwork featured there one day in the future!”
The Royal Highland Show took place at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh from 19th – 22nd June 2025.
Children aged 15 and under attended for free, with the event offering a number of free educational activities and experiential opportunities for children including hands-on workshops at the RHET Discovery Centre where children explored everything from pizza building to cheese tasting and sushi rolling!
Savings rising to £2.6 billion in 2029-30 will ensure funding can be targeted at frontline services such as the NHS, social security, action to eradicate child poverty and other priorities.
Under the five-year Medium Term Financial Strategy and Fiscal Sustainability Delivery Plan the Scottish Government will:
increase value for public money, with affordable and sustainable investment plans set out through a Scottish Spending Review in December
improve efficiencies and productivity across the public sector by using more technology and automation while improving collaboration between public bodies
reform public services, doing more with available resources and prioritising people with the greatest need
reduce the public sector workforce by an average of 0.5% every year until 2030 while protecting frontline services
invest in preventative measures to reduce demand on services such as health, social care and justice
The strategy and action plan also include measures to support sustainable, inclusive economic growth and ensure a strategic approach to tax policy that considers longer term impacts and competitiveness.
Finance Secretary Shona Robison said: ““With the world facing profound economic uncertainty this Medium Term Financial Strategy is being published in deeply challenging circumstances.Those challenges have been exacerbated by the actions of the UK Government, whose decisions continue to have serious consequences for the delivery of our public services.
“Managing the impact of Westminster austerity is all too familiar. In spite of this we continue to invest in the people of Scotland, supporting a better paid public sector, delivering high-quality public services and providing welfare support that is not available in other parts of the UK. And we have done this while delivering a balanced budget every single year.
“Fiscal sustainability is about more than balancing the books – it’s about delivering value, driving reform and making strategic choices that support long-term growth. By focusing on efficient public spending, modernising services, growing our economy and taking a strategic approach to tax, we can build a stronger, fairer Scotland.”
NEW SCREENS AND SPACES UNVEILED IN NEW IMAGES OF THE LANDMARK, REFURBISHED CINEMA
SCOTLAND’S FLAGSHIP CINEMA IN EDINBURGH REOPENS ITS DOORS TO THE PUBLIC TOMORROW – ON 27 JUNE 2025
Edinburgh’s landmark cinema Filmhouse has today revealed images of its new screens and spaces ahead of its public reopening tomorrow Friday 27 June.
Built in a repurposed church on Edinburgh’s Lothian Road, Filmhouse has been a cinematic landmark since 1978. Following a £2 million refurbishment, Scotland’s leading independent cinema Filmhouse returns with new leadership, a vision which builds on the venue’s legacy as a space for learning and discovery, and a commitment to building a sustainable future for this iconic cultural landmark.
Screen 1 has a capacity of 186 seats + 2 wheelchair spaces. The screen has Dual 35mm/70mm film projectors, 4K digital projection and 5.1 audio.
Screen 2 has a capacity of 70 seats + 1 wheelchair space. The screen has dual 35mm film projectors and can screen 2K digital projection with 5.1 audio
Screen 3 has a capacity of 57 + 2 wheelchair spaces. The screen has dual 35mm film projectors and a 16mm film projector and can screen 2K digital projection with 5.1 audio.
Soon to be unveiled Screen 4 will have a capacity of 22 + 1 wheelchair space and will include 2K digital projection and 5.1 audio
The completely refurbished Filmhouse Bar will be able to seat 100 people for lunch and dinner, with drinks available throughout the day, catering for film fans who enjoyed the welcoming atmosphere, and placing an emphasis on produce from Edinburgh and Scotland, offering great food and drink alongside environmental sustainability. Filmhouse fans will be pleased to know that the cinema’s world-famous nachos are staying put too.
Comfort has been prioritised across the new Filmhouse. Film-lovers can expect extra legroom and comfortable seats across the cinema’s screens, alongside a completely reworked foyer space.
Following its closure in October 2022, the reopening of Filmhouse marks the culmination of a three-year long campaign to save the historic cinema backed by film lovers in Edinburgh, Scotland, and around the world and by A-list film talent including patrons Jack Lowden and Charlotte Wells, as well as Dougray Scott, Brian Cox, and Emma Thompson.
Filmhouse will re-open its doors with a hand-picked programme of the very best films the cinema missed out on playing during the venue’s two-and-a-half-year closure. The programme will have a strong emphasis on films that did not screen in the city because of its absence.
Filmhouse has long been celebrated as a cultural cornerstone, showcasing world cinema in all its brilliance and diversity, from crowd-pleasing favourites to avant-garde arthouse works, restored classics, and curated retrospectives.
The first film to welcome audiences back to the venue will be the much-loved film gem and ode to the beauty of the cinemagoing experience, Giuseppe Tornatore’s Cinema Paradiso (1988).
Filmhouse is set to once again become a hub for film enthusiasts, offering a cutting-edge cinematic experience, a vibrant social space, and a platform for film lovers and filmmakers to engage with the very best in global cinema.
Previously a three-screen venue, the new Filmhouse will become a four-screen cinema and soon will be unveiling a fourth screen with a capacity of 24, allowing for an even more expansive programme, as well as being available for private screenings and hires.
Filmhouse’s technical capabilities include 70mm, 35mm, 16mm, 8mm, and digital projection. The cinema also includes a Clipster Unit for creating Digital Cinema Packages (DCPs) required for festival and theatrical distribution.
The stage is set, the screens are ready, and the story of Filmhouse continues!
Over 5,000 schoolchildren will continue to enjoy free literary events from the Edinburgh International Book Festival over the next three years, thanks to a £300,000 grant from the Scottish Government.
The one-off funding will support the festival’s acclaimed schools programme with more than 60 in-person and livestreamed events, including author talks with How to Train Your Dragon author Cressida Cowell and award-winning storyteller Frank Cottrell-Boyce.
The grant will also maintain travel cost support and free tickets for pupils whose families are unable to cover the cost of ticketed events, ensuring young people of all backgrounds across Edinburgh have an opportunity to participate in the internationally renowned festival.
Children attending will receive a free book through the philanthropy of Book Festival donors as well.
This investment comes as part of a record £34 million increase in Scotland’s Culture budget for 2025-26, which includes an increase of £4 million for Scottish Festivals, towards the government’s commitment to invest an additional £100 million annually in the arts and culture by 2028-29.
Creative Scotland has already awarded the Edinburgh International Book Festival £1,880,000 in public multi-year funding for the next three years, more than doubling previous support.
Minister for Business and Employment Richard Lochhead said: “The Edinburgh International Book Festival is one the country’s most significant cultural institutions. Its schools programme has been crucial in fostering literacy and cultural engagement among young people, with thousands of pupils benefiting annually from free events and resources.
“This funding secures those benefits for young readers across Edinburgh, helping schools that might otherwise struggle with travel costs, and ensuring they have the same opportunity to take part in one of the world’s leading literary festivals.”
Jenny Niven, Festival Director & CEO of Edinburgh International Book Festival said: “The work the Book Festival does for children and young people is a cornerstone of what we do. Publishing for children and young people has never been more vibrant, and the benefits of reading never better evidenced.
“The Festival is perfectly positioned to help children engage with the amazing range and breadth of stories around them, to support teachers to use books imaginatively and creatively in learning, and to supply older kids with the tools to think critically, and learn to evaluate the deluge of info around them.
“This aspect of what we do is vital, and we’re delighted to have specific public funding support to develop this work further in the coming years.
“We’ve identified the cost of transport as a key barrier to a wider cohort of schools joining us in August, and are committed to maintaining free access for as many children as possible.
“We’re delighted that the Scottish Government’s increased support for festivals has delivered public funding to develop this work further in the coming years and we look forward to widening our reach across Scotland and exploring further the digital potential of what we do.”
On Friday 20 June, over 1,100 children from 22 City of Edinburgh primary schools joined together for the Edinburgh 900 Big Sing event at the Usher Hall.
Taking to the stage was an orchestra of 70 primary school aged musicians, eight singers from Edinburgh Schools Rock Ensemble and a choir of pupils from Castlebrae Community High School and Tynecastle High Schools.
The event showcased collaborative performances from the City of Edinburgh Instrumental Music Service, Youth Music Initiative Music Instructors, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland students and Love Music.
During the event, pupils were invited to join in and sing six songs, taught and led by presenter and choir leader, Stephen Deazley. The event also featured the world premiere of a song written especially for the event by the award-winning Scottish indie-pop band, Sacred Paws, called ‘Better Side Of Town’.
Musicians Ray Aggs and Eilidh Rodgers worked with pupils from Castlebrae Community High School and Tynecastle High Schools to write lyrics and musical material for the song alongside Love Music’s Artistic Director, Stephen Deazley.
This event formed part of the celebration of Edinburgh 900, marking 900 years of formal ‘local democracy’ when, in 1124 King David I created the royal burgh of Edinburgh, one of the oldest in Scotland.
This year, a series of events, talks, tours and tales will help to tell the fascinating and diverse stories of Edinburgh’s journey and unique story.
PICTURE: Adam Cooke
Councillor James Dalgleish, Convener Education, Children and Families Committee commented: “It was a real pleasure to hear the musical talents of Edinburgh primary school children on display in the setting of the Usher Hall.
“Music has a unique ability to unite and inspire, and it was fantastic to see the way that pupils from across our schools joined together to in a fun and inclusive way.
“I want to thank our Instrumental Music Service teachers and school staff who made this event possible, and congratulate our young musicians on a brilliantperformance.
Stephen Deazley, Love Music Artistic Director said:“Creating space and opportunity for joyful communal singing is so important for our young people and school communities.
“Nothing lifts your spirit like it, which is why we were delighted to be invited to work alongside amazing musicians from Edinburgh’s instrumental Music Service to bring this ambitious project to the Usher Hall.”
