Tag: Councillors

Bullying and harassment: changes to Councillors’ Code of Conduct proposed

Ministers have published proposed changes to the Councillors’ Code of Conduct that will explicitly prohibit harassment and bullying. The amended Code has been submitted to the Scottish Parliament for approval following its endorsement by COSLA. This brings the Councillors’ Code in line with recent changes to the Scottish Ministerial Code.

Councillors have also agreed to update guidance on acceptable behaviour to accompany the changes to the Code.

Minister for Local Government and Housing, Kevin Stewart said: “Despite the great progress that has been made in promoting and achieving equality, it is clear that harassment and bullying are still issues that need tackled and this is unacceptable.

“Government works for the people and we need to be unequivocal that prejudice of any kind will not be tolerated. The proposed changes to the Councillors’ Code mean that it will specifically condemn harassment and bullying and make clear that where behaviour falls short people can expect to be held to account.”

COSLA President Councillor, Alison Evison said: “This change sends a strong message that all forms of bullying and harassment are not only completely unacceptable but are considered a breach of the Code of Conduct. It is only right that elected members in all spheres of government are held equally to account for their behaviour and set a high example to the rest of society.

“The change to the Code of Conduct is an important part of a wider picture such as continued efforts by COSLA and the Scottish Government to tackle gender based violence, including harassment, through the Equally Safe strategy.”

 If agreed by Parliament the changes to the Code are expected to come into force in the summer.

 The amendment states that ‘bullying or harassment is completely unacceptable and will be considered to be a breach of this Code’.

The changes have been endorsed by the Standards Commission and the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life, the independent bodies responsible for enforcing the Code, as well as by COSLA.  Similar changes to the Scottish Ministerial Code were issued by the First Minister in February.

 

It’s Polling Day

The City of Edinburgh Council election – Thursday 4th May 2017

Scotland goes to the polls to elect new local councillors today. There are seventeen wards within the City of Edinburgh Council area and a total of 63 councillors. Three or four candidates are elected in each ward.

Your polling place will be on your poll card or you can find your polling place using the Find your polling place tool Polling stations are open from 7am – 10pm.

The voting system for this election is the Single Transferable Vote (STV). You should vote using numbers (1 for your first choice candidate, 2 for your second, etc) and can vote for as many or as few as you wish.

The names of the candidates for each ward are listed below in te order that they appear on the ballot paper:

Ward 1 – Almond – Four candidates will be elected

FRASER, Daniel (Scottish Libertarian Party)

HUTCHISON, Graham (Scottish Conservative and Unionist)

INGLIS, Otto (UKIP)

LANG, Kevin (Scottish Liberal Democrats)

LONGSTAFF, John (Independent)

MCKINNON-WADDELL, Iain (Scottish Green Party)

MITCHELL, Pamela (Scottish National Party (SNP))

WHITEHEAD, Bruce (Scottish Labour Party)

WORK, Norrie (Scottish National Party (SNP))

YOUNG, Louise (Scottish Liberal Democrats)

Ward 2 – Pentland Hills – Four candidates will be elected

BRUCE, Graeme (Scottish Conservative and Unionist)

FARTHING, Emma (Scottish Liberal Democrats)

GARDINER, Neil (Scottish National Party (SNP))

HENDERSON, Ricky (Scottish Labour Party)

NOREIKIENE, Ernesta (Scottish National Party (SNP))

WEBBER, Susan (Scottish Conservative and Unionist)

WESTON, Evelyn (Scottish Green Party)

Ward 3 – Drum Brae/Gyle – Three candidates will be elected

ALDRIDGE, Robert Christopher (Scottish Liberal Democrats)

BRIDGMAN, Claire (Scottish National Party (SNP))

BROWN, Mark (Scottish Conservative and Unionist)

KEIL, Karen Ann (Scottish Labour Party)

MEYER, Phyl (Scottish Green Party)

Ward 4 – Forth – Four candidates will be elected

BIRD, Eleanor (Scottish National Party (SNP))

CAMPBELL, Jim (Scottish Conservative and Unionist)

DAY, Cammy (Scottish Labour Party)

GORDON, George (Scottish National Party (SNP))

MACKAY, Gillian (Scottish Green Party)

PUGH, Heather (Scottish Labour Party)

ROSS, Nicola (Independent)

WIGHT, Tim (Scottish Liberal Democrats)

Ward 5 – Inverleith – Four candidates will be elected

BAGSHAW, Nigel (Scottish Green Party)

BARRIE, Gavin (Scottish National Party (SNP))

DALGLEISH, James (Scottish Labour Party)

LAIRD, Tom (Scottish Libertarian Party)

MITCHELL, Max (Scottish Conservative and Unionist)

OSLER, Hal (Scottish Liberal Democrats)

WHYTE, Iain (Scottish Conservative and Unionist)

WOOLNOUGH, Tina (Independent)

Ward 6 – Corstorphine/Murrayfield – Three candidates will be elected

DOUGLAS, Scott (Scottish Conservative and Unionist)

GLOYER, Gillian (Scottish Liberal Democrats)

NEVENS, Kate (Scottish Green Party)

NISBET, James (UKIP)

ROSS, Frank (Scottish National Party (SNP))

SCOTT, John Ferguson (Independent)

WHITELAW, June (Scottish Labour Party)

Ward 7 – Sighthill/Gorgie – Four candidates will be elected

DIXON, Denis (Scottish National Party (SNP))

FULLERTON, Catherine (Scottish National Party (SNP))

GRACZYK, Ashley (Scottish Conservative and Unionist)

HAYTER, Simon (Scottish National Party (SNP))

HEAP, Dan (Scottish Green Party)

SCOBIE, Devin Scott (Scottish Liberal Democrats)

SMITH, Carmel (Scottish Labour Party)

STRANGE, Calum (Scottish Libertarian Party)

WILSON, Donald (Scottish Labour Party)

Ward 8 – Colinton/Fairmilehead – Three candidates will be elected

ARTHUR, Scott (Scottish Labour Party)

DOGGART, Phil (Scottish Conservative and Unionist)

LEWIS, Richard John (Scottish National Party (SNP))

MARSDEN, Sara (Scottish Green Party)

RUST, Jason (Scottish Conservative and Unionist)

WALKER, David Richard (Scottish Liberal Democrats)

Ward 9 – Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart – Three candidates will be elected

CORBETT, Gavin (Scottish Green Party)

JOHNSTON, Andrew (Scottish Conservative and Unionist)

KEY, David (Scottish National Party (SNP))

LANG, Jenni (Scottish Liberal Democrats)

SUBRAMANI, Rojan (Independent)

WIMBERLEY, Anne (Scottish Labour Party)

Ward 10 – Morningside – Four candidates will be elected

COOK, Nick (Scottish Conservative and Unionist)

HOWAT, Sandy (Scottish National Party (SNP))

LAND, Chris (Scottish Conservative and Unionist)

MAIN, Melanie (Scottish Green Party)

ROSS, Neil (Scottish Liberal Democrats)

WATT, Mandy (Scottish Labour Party)

Ward 11 – City Centre  – Four candidates will be elected

DORAN, Karen (Scottish Labour Party)

MILLER, Claire (Scottish Green Party)

MOWAT, Jo (Scottish Conservative and Unionist)

RANKIN, Alasdair (Scottish National Party (SNP))

SIDOR, Peter (Scottish Libertarian Party)

STEVENS, David (Scottish Liberal Democrats)

Ward 12 – Leith Walk  – Four candidates will be elected

DONALDSON, Marion (Scottish Labour Party)

GARDNER, Nick (Scottish Labour Party)

JACOBSEN, David Don (Socialist Labour Party)

MARGA, Cristina (Scottish Conservative and Unionist)

MCNEESE-MECHAN, Amy (Scottish National Party (SNP))

MELVILLE, Alan Gordon (Independent)

RAE, Susan (Scottish Green Party)

RITCHIE, Lewis (Scottish National Party (SNP))

TOBERMANN, Harald (Independent)

ZAPOROZCENKO, Vita (Scottish Liberal Democrats)

Ward 13 – Leith – Three candidates will be elected

BOOTH, Chas (Scottish Green Party)

DIJKSTRA-DOWNIE, Sanne (Scottish Liberal Democrats)

MCVEY, Adam (Scottish National Party (SNP))

MUNRO, Gordon John (Labour and Co-operative Party)

PENMAN, Paul (Scottish Conservative and Unionist)

Ward 14 – Craigentinny/Duddingston  – Four candidates will be elected

CAMPBELL, Ian (Scottish National Party (SNP))

GRIFFITHS, Joan (Labour and Co-operative Party)

HADFIELD, Patrick (Scottish Liberal Democrats)

LUNN, Alex (Scottish National Party (SNP))

MARTIN, Lyndsay (Labour and Co-operative Party)

MCLELLAN, John (Scottish Conservative and Unionist)

STANIFORTH, Alex (Scottish Green Party)

WADHWA, Mridul (Scottish National Party (SNP))

Ward 15 – Southside/Newington  – Four candidates will be elected

BURGESS, Steve (Scottish Green Party)

DICKIE, Alison (Scottish National Party (SNP))

FARTHING, Dan (Scottish Liberal Democrats)

PERRY, Ian (Scottish Labour Party)

ROSE, Cameron (Scottish Conservative and Unionist)

Ward 16 – Liberton/Gilmerton  – Four candidates will be elected

CAMERON, Lezley Marion (Scottish Labour Party)

HOWIE, Derek (Scottish National Party (SNP))

KNOX, John Christopher (Scottish Liberal Democrats)

MACINNES, Lesley (Scottish National Party (SNP))

NICHOL, John (Scottish Green Party)

POGSON, Tim (Scottish Labour Party)

SMITH, Stephanie (Scottish Conservative and Unionist)

Ward 17 – Portobello/Craigmillar – Four candidates will be elected

BRIDGMAN, Mike (Scottish National Party (SNP))

CAMPBELL, Kate (Scottish National Party (SNP))

CAMPBELL, Mary (Scottish Green Party)

CHILD, Maureen (Scottish Labour Party)

LAIDLAW, Callum (Scottish Conservative and Unionist)

LESLIE, Callum (Scottish Liberal Democrats)

WALKER, David (Scottish Labour Party)

Councillors to decide on Silverknowes access

It may not be up there with the Berlin Wall or Northern Ireland’s ‘peace barriers’, but North Edinburgh’s own long-running dispute over local access and antisocial behaviour could soon be over. Members of the city council’s Transport, Infrastructure and Environment (TIE) Committee will decide whether Silverknowes and Muirhouse are to be separated by closed-off barriers at their 13 September meeting. 

Following anti-social behaviour and disturbances in part of the Silverknowes area last autumn, representatives from community organisations in Almond and Forth wards met with local politicians, council and police officials to discuss the possibility of closing off accesses at Silverknowes Eastway.

It proved impossible to reach agreement, however, with community groups and residents in Almond (i.e. Silverknowes) overwhelmingly in favour of closing off the accesses, while Forth community groups and residents are equally vehement in their opposition to closure.  Council officials have also indicated that their policy recommendation must be to keep the accesses open.

Council officials are now compiling a report for the next meeting of the TIE committee, and local groups and individuals have been invited to make submissions for inclusion in the report by 27 July.

Among the options councillors will consider will be the possibility of closing off the pedestrian and cycleway access between Silverknowes and Muirhouse at Silverknowes Eastway/Muirhouse Gardens and Silverknowes Eastway/Muirhouse Drive in the evenings.

Davidsons Mains and Silverknowes Association is one of the Almond groups pressing for closure of the access. The group points to a survey they conducted earlier this year to gauge public opinion on the access issue. In a newsletter to residents DMSA point out:  ‘The DMSA has previously advised residents on the outcomes from the residents opinion survey but it is worth repeating that there were 235 responses from Silverknowes and only 44 from Muirhouse. The Silverknowes return represented a remarkable 40% response and, of those who replied, 65% were in favour of complete closure and 15% wanted some form of restricted access, for example, by closure in the evening and overnight.’

The group is expected to make both formal written submission and to send a deputation to the forthcoming transport committee meeting to argue the case for closure.

Opponents of the proposals, however, argue that closing off and separating communities is not the answer. Roy Douglas, chairman of Muirhouse Salvesen Community Council, confirmed: “We will be making a submission and plan to send a deputation to the TIE meeting. The access must remain open and we will be putting that case strongly to councillors”.