democracy – Page 46 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

General Election: Edinburgh candidates confirmed

The candidates nominated to stand in the City of Edinburgh’s five constituencies in the UK Parliamentary Elections on May 7th have been announced. Nominations closed at 4pm today.

The nominated candidates for each constituency are listed in full below and can also be found on the Council website:

Edinburgh East Constituency

CORBISHLEY, Oliver John – UK Independence Party (UKIP)
GILMORE, Sheila – Scottish Labour Party
MCCOLL, Peter Andrew – Scottish Green Party
MCMORDIE, James Frederick John – Scottish Conservative and Unionist
SALEEM, Ayesha – Scottish Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
SHEPPARD, Tommy – Scottish National Party (SNP)
UTTING, Karen Jane – Scottish Liberal Democrats

Edinburgh North & Leith Constituency

BEATTIE-SMITH, Sarah Elizabeth – Scottish Green Party
BROCK, Deidre Leanne – Scottish National Party (SNP)
LAZAROWICZ, Mark – Scottish Labour Party
MCGILL, Iain – Scottish Conservative and Unionist
MELVILLE, Alan Gordon – UK Independence Party (UKIP)
VEART, Martin – Scottish Liberal Democrats
WHITEHEAD, Bruce – Left Unity – Trade Unionists and Socialists

Edinburgh South Constituency

BRIGGS, Miles Edward Frank – Scottish Conservative and Unionist
FOX, Colin Anthony – Scottish Socialist Party
HAY, Neil William – Scottish National Party (SNP)
MARSHALL, Paul – United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP)
MEYER, Phyl Stuart – Scottish Green Party
MURRAY, Ian – Scottish Labour Party
SUBBARAMAN, Pramod – Scottish Liberal Democrats

Edinburgh South West Constituency

CHERRY Joanna Catherine – Scottish National Party (SNP)
DOHERTY Richard Alan – Scottish Green Party
FARTHING-SYKES Dan – Scottish Liberal Democrats
HENDERSON Ricky – Scottish Labour Party
LINDHURST Gordon John – Scottish Conservative and Unionist
LUCAS Richard Crewe – UK Independence Party (UKIP)

Edinburgh West Constituency

BLACK Pat – Scottish Green Party
CROCKART Mike – Scottish Liberal Democrats
DAY Cammy – Scottish Labour Party
INGLIS George Grant Gordon Otto – UK Independence Party (UKIP)
PATERSON Lindsay Sheila – Scottish Conservative and Unionist
THOMSON Michelle Rhonda – Scottish National Party (SNP)

Find out more about where, when and how to vote.

Voters: are your details correct?

Edinburgh’s voters are being urged to check their registration details are correct four weeks ahead of the General Election on 7 May.

Citizens are being reminded that they must be registered in order to cast their vote in May’s election, with tenants and recent movers in particular the focus of a drive to encourage registration.

Members of the public, including students and people who have moved home since the last time they registered, should check they are on the electoral role ahead of the registration deadline on 20 April.

Nominations close on Thursday for General Election Candidates, when the final list of those standing for Edinburgh’s five constituencies will be announced.

Sue Bruce, Chief Executive of City of Edinburgh Council and Returning Officer for the Edinburgh constituencies, said: “Interest in the forthcoming General Election is really starting to build up. It is essential that voters’ registration details are up-to-date so they can cast their votes and I would urge anyone who is unsure to check in plenty of time.”

More than 84% of the city’s residents voted in the Scottish Independence Referendum in September, but changes to the electoral registration system could mean some electors need to re-register. Anyone who has moved since August can update their address or other details by visiting the GOV.UK website.

You can check you are registered by phoning the Lothian Valuation Joint Board on 0131 344 2500.

Find out more about where, when and how to vote here.

PY’s ‘Giggers’ vote to focus on animals – and unicorn protection!

To coincide with the Scottish Independence Referendum in September, Pilton Youth & Children Project’s ‘Get Involved Group’ (GIG) undertook a ‘Democracy Project’ over several months.

The young people explored all the arguments about both sides of the independence debate and also found out about the roots of British democracy -did you know that only very rich people and only men used to get the vote?

The project ended with two performances of a play staged by the young people.
There were sketches about the working class people and suffragettes who fought and died for their right to vote and a sketch about a fictitious family in Pilton, whose kids eventually persuaded their parents to miss ‘Storage wars’ to go and cast their vote!

The young people performed brilliantly and all their weeks of hard work were well worth it as the audience gave them a standing ovation. Well done to the ‘Giggers’!

Following on from the GIG project about democracy, the young people in the ‘Get Involved Group’ went through a democratic process of identifying what the GIG should focus on next.

After much discussion, they unanimously voted for the next topic to be ‘Animal Welfare’ as this is something they care deeply about.

They are in the process of developing a ‘Dog Dirt Free’ zone around the PYCP building, as many children play there, but unfortunately people are letting their dogs foul there and not cleaning it up.

The group recently had a visit from Rachel Bliss from The Dogs Trust who spoke about the many aspects of Dog Welfare and Dog Safety. Rachel has agreed to come back to PYCP to do two more sessions for young people during the Easter holidays.

A couple of youngsters are very keen to look at protection of unicorns, and this is something that the workers are trying to figure out how best to tackle this subject-without shattering their illusions about unicorns being real!

Photos: (1) Suffragettes scene from GIG play, and (2) GIG trip to Cosmos to celebrate their West End Theatre run!

Pilton Youth & Childrens Project (PYCP)

More power to the people

Government beefs up Community Empowerment Bill to encourage community participation in decision-making

More community involvement in the decisions of public bodies will strengthen democracy, according to Community Empowerment Minister Marco Biagi .

A change to the Community Empowerment Bill, agreed by the Local Government and Regeneration Committee last week, encourages public bodies to promote and facilitate participation with people and communities in decision making and budget setting.

The move follows huge participation in last year’s independence referendum.
Ministers will also have powers to require public bodies to engage if they fail to do so.

Speaking at the Community Development Alliance Scotland conference in Glasgow earlier this week, Mr Biagi said: “Involving people and communities in decision-making unquestionably makes for better decisions.

“As the referendum demonstrated, people will get involved when they understand the issues at stake and know that they can make a difference. It’s my job to ensure that enthusiasm continues and make it clear that people know their voice matters.

“Participation is about more than consulting, it is about empowering communities to shape decisions and have a say on how ideas are delivered.

“18 Scottish councils have taken up the Government’s offer of training and support for participatory budgeting projects, giving communities the chance to have their say on local budgets. That helps build community capacity while ensuring the public sector understands local needs and priorities and can target budgets more effectively to improve services.

“More participation brings fresh perspectives, strengthens democracy and will help build a fairer Scotland.”

Fiona Garven, Chair of Community Development Alliance Scotland said: “CDAS welcomes the changes to the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill which will pave the way for communities to be involved in meaningful decisions about how public money is spent.

“We are encouraged that the legislation will also require processes to be put in place to support communities and community organisations to engage with public bodies to raise awareness of local issues and to contribute to more effective shaping and delivery of local services.

“Such support will be important to encourage the involvement of a diverse range of communities in local democratic processes and achieve a rebalance of power across all sections of Scottish society.”

Scotland will eventually leave UK, research suggests

Political engagement is highest in Scotland – but few people believe they can make a difference

Most people in the UK now believe Scotland will become an independent country and eventually leave the UK, according to new research from the University of Edinburgh.

The findings are taken from a survey of more than 7000 voters across Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland which asked people about a range of constitutional issues.

The majority of people surveyed across the four nations believe that Scotland will eventually leave the UK – 69 per cent in Scotland; 59 per cent in England; 54 per cent in Wales; and 59 per cent in Northern Ireland.

The survey found that 15 per cent of Scots think the country will become independent within five years and 32 per cent believe it will happen within ten. Overall, more than two-thirds of Scots believe the country will eventually vote for independence.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “The Scottish Government continues to believe independence is the best option for Scotland, and the survey finds most Scots think this is where the constitutional journey will take us.

“We also believe strongly that Scotland being taken out of the EU in a referendum in circumstances, where a majority of Scots had voted to stay in, would be massively damaging economically and have major constitutional implications.

“The referendum on independence was a wonderful experience of democratic engagement, bringing people into politics who in some cases had not been involved in decades, if at all.

“I therefore welcome the findings that political engagement in Scotland is higher than in the rest of the UK, particularly among young people and that there remains a strong appetite for debate over the constitution. Scots are significantly more likely to say that they will vote in the 2015 Westminster election.”

Despite the views on constitutional issues, those surveyed do not believe ‘ordinary people’ have a big influence on how the UK is run – politicians, political parties, businesses, trade unions and local councils are seen to hold greater influence on the running of the country.

Dr Jan Eichhorn, of the University of Edinburgh’s School of Social and Political Science, said: “People across the UK show an appetite for discussions about how the country should be governed. However, it is worrying to see how little people think they can actually make a difference.”

Dr Daniel Kenealy said: “Despite Nicola Sturgeon’s call for an EU referendum veto by the four nations of the UK, and First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones’s support for the idea, it remains unpopular with people across the UK.”

A Labour spokesman said: “This poll shows that people are frustrated with the way that politics works, and they want to have a bigger say in how our country is run. Making our country work for working people is the best way to bring all parts of it together again.

“That is why Labour has committed to a constitutional convention, made up of people from all parts of the country and all walks of life, to change the way our country works.”

A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said fears about the end of the Union were being heightened by the prospect of a pact at Westminster between Labour and the SNP in the event of a hung parliament.

The spokesman said: “With Labour flirting with the SNP in the hope it gets them into government, and the Lib Dems dead in the water it’s no surprise people fear the constitutional question isn’t yet over.”

Ten thousand and rising …

STV GREENS SNUB: Legal challenge not ruled out

More than ten thousand people have signed the petition calling for Scottish Green Party inclusion in STV’s leaders debate. Leaders of Scotland’s other four major parties have also announced their support for the Greens inclusion.

Launched at 11am on Thursday, after STV announced their plans to hold a debate with four of Scotland’s five parties, the petition has received support across Scotland, peaking at forty signatures a minute and reaching ten thousand signatures at 13.53 on Saturday.

Commenting on the public and political support, Patrick Harvie MSP said: “This groundswell of support across Scotland shows that there is a clear demand for the Greens to be included in the debate. These past two years have seen high-quality, enjoyable televised debates, with STV often hosting the best of them and with the Greens regularly given a platform. The public clearly expect this diversity of vision to continue being on offer, if only for them as voters to give us the scrutiny we all deserve.

“We are also grateful for the messages of support from the leaders of Scotland’s four other major parties. Their statements add considerable weight to the call by over ten thousand members of the public for STV to reconsider and extend an invitation to the Greens. Taking legal action is not our preferred option but it is one we will have to keep open unless the broadcaster reconsiders their position.”

Scottish Youth Parliament election results

The votes have been counted and your MSYPs for Edinburgh are:

Edinburgh Central: Wing Yan Ng and Lucie Duffy

Edinburgh Eastern: Mahnoor Shah and Shannon Donoghue

Edinburgh Northern and Leith: Terri Smith and Eilidh Mackay.

There were only two candidates in each of the other constituencies so Kishore Lennon and Panashe Muzambe (Edinburgh Pentlands), Sarah Garland and Charlotte Watt (Edinburgh Southern) and Owen Cruickshank and Laura Holloway (Edinburgh Western) were returned unopposed.

Congratulations to all the candidates, successful or otherwise – hope you go on to do great things for your communities!

‪#‎SYPElex‬‪

#‎SYPED15‬

General election: make sure your voter details are up to date

With just eight weeks to go until the UK General Election, Edinburgh voters are being urged to make sure their voter details are up to date.

Members of the public, including students and people who may have moved home since the last time they registered, are being reminded to check their registration details are correct ahead of the vote on Thursday 7 May.

More than 84% of the city’s residents voted in the Scottish Independence Referendum in September, which saw a record-breaking turnout across the country.

Since this time last year, the number of people registered to vote has risen by more than 15,000.

But anyone who has moved home or changed their name since the Referendum will need to ensure their details are up to date in order to vote in May. Members of the public can register or update their details online using the Government website by 20 April.

Dame Sue Bruce, Chief Executive of City of Edinburgh Council and Returning Officer for Edinburgh, said: “It is crucial that voters’ registration details are correct in order to have their say in the election, so I would urge all those who are unsure to check they are registered.

“We saw a record high turnout for the Scottish Independence Referendum last year and it would be great to continue this enthusiasm into the UK Parliamentary Election in May.”

The City of Edinburgh Council has launched a campaign to promote voter awareness and voter registration ahead of the election, along with the Lothian Valuation Joint Board. The drive will use social media, news releases and other promotional material to share information and advice on taking part in the election.

Find out where, when and how to vote on the Council website.

Scotland’s changing …

2.5 million Scottish households to receive leaflet explaining devolution changes

A leaflet explaining the changes to devolution as the UK Government prepares to transfer powers to Holyrood will begin arriving through letterboxes in Scotland this week.

The 8-page Scotland’s Changing leaflet (see below) will explain the new powers as well as the benefits people in Scotland retain as part of the UK, including the pound, pensions and passports.

It will be sent to every one of the 2.5 million households across the country.

Find out more about Our United Future

The leaflet clearly explains which powers will be devolved and reserved following the Smith Commission and the earlier Scotland Act 2012. Powers going to the Scottish Parliament include income tax, some elements of welfare and choices over new taxes such as Airport Passenger Duty and Stamp Duty.

The Smith Commission recommended action to raise public awareness of devolution and this is part of the UK Government’s response to that challenge.

Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael said:

“Scotland is changing for the better, with new powers coming to the Scottish Parliament.

These powers will have an impact on every person living in Scotland and it is important that we all know what they are and what they mean for us.

From Monday, households across Scotland will receive a leaflet, direct to their door – and that leaflet will spell out the facts.

The Scottish Parliament will soon be given power over the rates of income tax, welfare provision with a starting budget of more than £2.5 billion, and the ability to give the vote to 16 and 17 year olds in Holyrood and local government elections.

Alongside borrowing powers, and continued control over health, education, housing, public transport and so much more, the Scottish Parliament is set to become one of the most powerful devolved parliaments not just in Europe, but in the entire world.

At the same time, Scotland will keep the many benefits which come as part of the UK. We’ll keep our UK pound, our UK passport and our UK pensions. We’ll also continue to benefit from a single jobs market, a single defence system and a single, strong and fast-growing UK economy.

This is good news for Scotland. A united future, built to last.”

Scotland_s_Changing_info_leaflet

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General Election 2015: your questions matter!

Come along and ask candidates the questions that matter to you! Pilton Community Health Project will be holding hustings in each of the two constituencies in the area.

Candidates for Edinburgh North and Leith have been invited to attend hustings on Thursday 19 March from 6.30 – 8pm at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre. A light soup supper will be available from 6 with questions starting from 6.30. The event will be Chaired by the very able Harry Woodward.

Candidates for Edinburgh West have been invited to attend hustings on Thursday 26 March from 6.30 -8pm at Muirhouse Millennium Community Centre. A light soup supper will be available from 6 with questions starting from 6.30. The event will be Chaired by the very able Harry Woodward.

Get in touch if you would like some help with childcare or have any questions – contact Anita on 0131 551 1671.