The SNP has announced that Sarah Masson will stand as their candidate in Edinburgh West at the next UK general election. Continue reading SNP announce Edinburgh West candidate
Tag: Edinburgh West
Local MP suspended pending police probe
Edinburgh West MP Michelle Thomson has withdrawn from the SNP whip and been suspended by the party after police launched an investigation into property deals conducted by her lawyer Christopher Hales.
News of the police investigation follows revelations which first appeared in a Sunday Times article on 19 September.
Mrs Thomson’s solicitor, Christopher Hales, was struck off in May last year after being found guilty of professional misconduct in relation to 13 property deals – all of which involved Ms Thomson or her company M&F Property Solutions.
There is no suggestion Michelle Thomson is personally being investigated by police, and the Edinburgh West MP – who was also the SNP’s spokeswoman for business, innovation and skills at Westminster – said she will ‘cooperate fully’ with any investigation.
She said yesterday: “I am aware of the police investigation and will cooperate fully if required to do so. I have always acted within the law and look forward to being cleared of any wrong doing.
“I have this afternoon decided to withdraw from the party whip whilst an investigation takes place. Once the investigation is concluded I look forward to returning to play a full role in party activities. I will be making no further comment on this matter.”
While investigations are ongoing Ms Thomson, who was elected in May, will sit as an independent MP at Westminster.
Meet Michelle at Muirhouse Millennium Centre
Edinburgh West SNP MP Michelle Thomson now holds a surgery at Muirhouse Millennium Community Centre (writes JAMES McGINTY)
FRIDAY 4 SEPTEMBER 10.30 – 11.30am
Our newly elected MP in Westminster is back in Scotland after an extensive introduction to Westminster parliamentary procedure, whilst juggling her duties here in Scotland in her constituency.
Many of us have followed Michelle’s exploits via her reports in the Evening News. and Michelle now starts her promised General Surgery here in the Centre (see above).
Come along, no appointment necessary (open door). The surgery will take place in the cafeteria area but will have private space available if required.
The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?
Row over ‘extraordinary’ claims in Lib Dem newspaper
The SNP has accused the Liberal Democrats of misleading voters in Edinburgh West, claiming plummeting poll ratings have ‘driven their opponents to a new low.’
With the general election now just two weeks away the SNP have challenged claims about the controversial Cammo planning application made in a Liberal Democrat newsletter.
An SNP spokesperson said: “Not content to openly ask Tory and Labour supporters to vote for them in order to stop the SNP candidate Michelle Thomson from winning Edinburgh West constituency, they are now trying to mislead and panic local residents over the housing application which has been referred to Cabinet Secretary Alex Neil for determination.
“The Liberal Democrat candidate Mike Crockart is quoted: ‘The SNP can’t run away from their record on Cammo. Their local councillors voted for the housing development. Only the Liberal Democrats can be trusted to work with residents to stop these plans going ahead.’ This statement is totally untrue. No councillors voted for the proposed housing development. The development was appealed by the developers on the grounds of non determination by the City of Edinburgh Council.
“The Liberal Democrats also ask three questions:
1. Why did the SNP put this in the hands of their housing minister Alex Neil from Airdrie, over our locally elected councillors? This is factually incorrect. No one from the SNP directed this to Alex Neil. The application was appealed on the grounds of non-determination by the Council and the legal pathway is being followed. The Council Planning committee was bypassed by the developers appeal.
2. Why has the SNP delayed the decision about Cammo until after the General Election? This is factually incorrect. The SNP have no part to play in this legal process: if the SNP were involved in trying to influence a live planning application this would be inapropriate and illegal. There is no date known as to when the determination will be made public.
3. Why did SNP councillors on the Council Planning Committee vote for the inclusion of housing at Cammo in the local development plan last year? This is factually incorrect. Councillors on the Planning Committee at last years meeting could not agree on a new local development plan which would have identified areas to be released for development. As a result, a fresh consultation on land available all over the city of Edinburgh was undertaken by the City Council of which Cammo was a part. It should be noted that no Liberal Democrat Councillor accepted a position on the Planning Committee and as a result have made absolutely no meaningful input into the planning deliberations.”
SNP MSP for Edinburgh Western Colin Keir said: “This is an extraordinary newspaper from the Liberal Democrats. It would appear that the blind panic caused by local polls which show the Liberal Democrats in freefall is clouding any good judgement they may have once had. They are now clearly misleading residents. While the SNP candidate Michelle Thomson has been following a positive agenda, the Liberal Democrats are suffering through a lack of trust because of their coalition with the Tories.”
Mr Keir added: “Mr Crockart has had all this explained to him. Cabinet Secretary Alex Neil even wrote to him some weeks ago explaining the process regarding the Cammo housing appeal, which is on record. Obviously Mr Crockart either doesn’t understand the process, or the lack of trust shown in polls to the Liberal Democrats is well founded as residents are clearly being misled.”
Edinburgh West was once a Conservative stronghold but the Lib-Dems have held the Westminster constituency – which covers a wide area from Drylaw and Muirhouse out to South Queensferry – since 1997. The SNP currently hold the equivalent Edinburgh Western seat in the Holyrood parliament.
Candidates contesting the Edinburgh West seat on 7 May are: Patricia Black (Greens), Mike Crockart (Lib Dems), Cammy Day (Labour), Otto Inglis (UKIP), Lindsay Paterson (Conservative) and Michelle Thomson (SNP).
SNP candidate takes swipe at ‘double-jobbing’
SNP launch Edinburgh West general election campaign tomorrow
Michelle Thomson, SNP candidate in Edinburgh West, has spoken out against ‘double jobbing’, and condemns current LibDem MP Mike Crockart for backing the Tories and rejecting a ban.
The LibDem MP for Edinburgh West voted with the Tories to reject a ban on MPs carrying lucrative directorships alongside their parliamentary commitments.
“If I win this seat at Westminster, I will commit full time to the constituents of Edinburgh West rather than simultaneously act as some kind of adviser, director or business manager. I know women are great at multi-tasking but constituents deserve better than a part-time MP”, she said.
“Mr Crockart clearly has no such reservations and believes that it is perfectly viable to have a couple of jobs at once. I think voters deserve more than that.
“As a party, the SNP has made it very clear that we have no truck with Rifkind, Straw and all the others who back the idea of double jobbing. The LibDems are once again in bed with the Tories protecting the interests of the wealthy and elite.”
Following a Channel 4 programme that exposed Messrs Rifkind and Straw offering their services to a fictional Chinese company for rates of £5000-£8,000 a day, Labour moved a House of Commons motion to ban the practice. The Westminster SNP MPs voted in favour Labour’s motion, while the Tories and LibDems voted together to defeat it.
“The current position is, to my mind, ludicrous,” says Michelle Thomson. “Surely a salary of £67,060 a year plus generous expenses is enough for anyone to live on? I believe that those in elected office have an absolute duty to their constituents’ interests.
“Even apart from the row over ‘cash for access’ and the conflict of interests that can follow, I do not understand why any MP would have either the time or the need to earn additional money. If you want to earn millions, then don’t go into politics. You need to be absolutely committed to the job, not your pay packet.
“I grant that there are particular situations, such as family-run businesses for example, where elected representatives in either the Scottish or the Westminster Parliament retain a connection.
“That is a very different scenario from additional earnings such as Gordon Brown’s, currently almost a £1m a year. Is he representing the interests of his constituents in Fife?”
Comedian and broadcaster Hardeep Singh Kohli will be in Edinburgh West tomorrow morning to officially launch SNP candidate Michelle Thomson’s bid for a seat at Westminster.
Hardeep says: “Michelle is a fantastic person and so right for this task. She is completely without the pretensions you find in so many politicians. She genuinely cares and wants to bring real change.
“She has the endorsement of some very influential people like Angela Constance, Fiona Hyslop, Jim Sillars and Alex Neil. And, of course, me!
“I know she can do it. This is a great Campaign Hub and she has a fantastic team of committed folk around her. I wish her all the very best.”
Angela Constance MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, will also join tomorrow’s launch. She said: “Michelle has a proven track record. She’s an organiser, she gets things done and she is a great presenter on TV and radio.
“She knows and understands the challenges of running a small business and is an ideal candidate for Edinburgh West. She’s a warm and engaging person who genuinely cares and is committed to the community in which she has lived for more than 20 years.”
Michelle Thomson said: “Scottish politics has changed forever since last September and now is an incredibly exciting time to be involved so directly.
“We need to make sure that we have the strongest possible team of SNP MPs to hold the Westminster Government’s ‘feet to the fire’ on the big promises made before the Referendum.
“The people of this community have been let down by elected representatives doing one thing and saying another. Whether it is on tuition fees for students, the Bedroom Tax or paying down the debt, the UK parties seem unable to present any positive polices that help the voters of Edinburgh West.
“I want to see a Scotland that is growing stronger, more prosperous and fairer. Come 7 May, people in Edinburgh West have the opportunity to vote for integrity, honesty and real change for the better.”
The launch takes place at the SNP ‘Campaign Hub’ at 183 St. John’s Road from 10am.
Keir condemns development plan delay
‘There was chaos over Local Development Plan 1 and now the same thing is happening over LDP2’ – Colin Keir MSP
Edinburgh Western MSP Colin Keir has accused the city council’s planning convener of incompetence following news that the City Of Edinburgh Council has deferred decisions relating to the Local Development Plan (LDP2).
The announcement that the decision on the Local Development Plan, which was due next week, has now been put off until after the General Election in May has been received with anger in Edinburgh Western – which contains the contentious Cammo and Maybury development sites along with other controversial development proposals at South Queensferry.
Mr Keir said: “There are serious questions to be asked of Convener of the Planning Committee Councillor Perry and senior planning officials. There was chaos over LDP1 and now the same thing is happening over LDP2.
“Thanks to Councillor Perry’s actions, my constituents particularly those in Cammo, Maybury, Corstorphine and South Queensferry, can look forward to even more uncertainty due to an avalanche of presumptive planning applications which are sure to follow the non-determination of LDP2.
“Councillor Perry has either shown a serious lack of competence and leadership on this or he is playing party politics with the daily lives of residents and the prosperity of the city. Where is the joined up thinking, what discussions have there been relating to transport and pollution management? These are questions residents need answers to. It’s time for Councillor Perry and the Labour Party to come clean with residents of Edinburgh West and the city as a whole”.
Mr Keir has consistently opposed the proposals to develop green field sites at Cammo and Maybury. He has also raised concerns over the number of new developments proposed for South Queensferry which were only introduced into the LDP last year.
The LDP process has been in development since 2011.
Any questions?
Opportunities to get your questions answered at hustings events
Pilton Community Health Project has organised hustings in both local constituency seats in the run up to the Westminster election in May.
Candidates for Edinburgh North and Leith have been invited to answer questions from local community on Thursday 19 March from 6.30 – 8pm at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre (soup will be available from 6pm).
Candidates for Edinburgh West have been invited to answer questions from the local community on Thursday 26 March from 6.30 – 8pm at Muirhouse Millennium Community Centre (soup will be available from 6pm).
http://pchp.org.uk/news/2015/your-questions-matter
Donald Gorrie dies
Former Edinburgh West MP Donald Gorrie has died aged 79.
Mr Gorrie represented Edinburgh West at Westminster before becoming an MSP for Central Scotland after devolution. Indeed, over a long political career spanning many decades Mr Gorrie represented the Liberal Democrats at every level of government save the European parliament.
A constant critic of the Holyrood building project, Gorrie was not afraid to upset his Party’s heirarchy – he was an outspoken critic of the Lib Dem’s coalition deal with Labour. He was also one of the first politicians to call for tougher alcohol laws.
A quiet and polite man, Donald Gorrie was respected across the political spectrum. He leaves behind his wife Astrid and two sons.
“I was saddened at the news of Donald Gorrie’s death. He was on Edinburgh Council for 12 years at the same time as me, and he was always respected for his straight talking and his hard work for his constituents. Above all, he was a great champion of Edinburgh and he was always ready to work with his political opponents to support projects and initiatives to benefit the city.” – Edinburgh North and Leith MP Mark Lazarowicz
“Donald Gorrie was a traditional Liberal who was respected by his political opponents and worked hard on behalf of his consituents. Only last year while I was canvassing in Edinburgh West his name would be mentioned on a number of occassiobs as the person who would ‘get action taken on our behalf’. My thoughts are with his family at this time.” – Councillor Lesley Hinds
I was very sad to hear of the death of Donald Gorrie. Donald was the dominant figure in Edinburgh Liberal politics from his election to the then Town Council in 1971 representing Corstorphine. He first came to public prominence as an athlete – the 880 yards was his distance and he competed for Scotland at this level.
Donald served in local government between 1971 and 1997 when he was elected as the first ever Liberal Democrat MP in Edinburgh and the first Liberal since WWII.
Donald was the Liberal group leader on both district and regional councils when I was first elected to the region in 1994; he was a man who had a strong sense of morality and his
politics were very much shaped by his sense of right and wrong. He had so much in common with the great Liberal hero Gladstone in that regard and like the Grand Old Man he became more radical the older he got.
I always like to tell people that I have more fingers in pies than I have fingers. Donald made
me look like a beginner in that regard! He was involved in everything. President of the Edinburgh Athletics Club, he was involved with the Association of Youth Clubs, Diverse Attractions and he was a great champion of youth, setting up the hugely successful 6VT Youth cafe when he was a councillor.
In 1997 Donald finally was elected to Westminster but served only one term before going
on to serve in Holyrood from 1999 until 2007 – his main reason for getting elected to Westminster was so that he could help set up the Scottish parliament.
He made an instant impact being named as the new parliament’s first Backbencher of the Year and busied himself with various issues from the Holyrood building fiasco to raising the issue of sectarianism and ensuring that this was finally tackled. I also recall he was the first politician I ever heard raising the issue of Hospital Acquired Infection.
He retired in 2007 but then was involved in more local groups. He became the secretary of the Friends of Corstorphine Hill and chair of the Corstorphine Dementia Project. The list of groups Donald helped is too numerous for me to list, as are his many achievements. He was so energetic – a real force of nature.
Personally as a young activist and then councillor his counsel was always worth listening to. He was perhaps the most influential figure in my development as a politician. A great man, a giant of Edinburgh Liberalism and a man who was always more interested in doing things than being things. Scottish politics has lost one of its most colourful and principled characters.
Councillor Paul Edie
I knew Donald Gorrie at both Westminster and the Scottish Parliament and thought he was an outstanding parliamentarian who always spoke his own mind and wassn’t afraid to depart from his party’s line.
Malcolm Chisholm MSP