City council by-election details

Colinton/Fairmilehead by-election candidates announced

The candidates standing in the forthcoming Colinton/Fairmilehead Council by-election have been confirmed.

Twelve candidates have been nominated to stand in the by-election, which is due to take place on 14 November.

The candidates standing for election are –

  • Bonnie Prince Bob, Independent
  • Mev Brown, Independent
  • Mairianna Clyde, Scottish National Party (SNP)
  • Neil Cuthbert, Scottish Conservative and Unionist
  • Sheila Gilmore, Scottish Labour Party
  • David Ian Henry, Independent
  • Tam Laird, Scottish Libertarian Party
  • Grant Lidster, Reform UK
  • Richard Crewe Lucas, Scottish Family Party
  • Daniel Aleksanteri Milligan, Scottish Greens
  • Louise Spence, Scottish Liberal Democrats
  • Marc Wilkinson, Independent

Returning Officer for Edinburgh Paul Lawrence, said: “With nominations now closed and a month remaining, residents of the Colinton/Fairmilehead ward can start considering who they will vote for in the upcoming by-election. It’s important to make sure you’re registered to vote by 29 October in order to participate.

“Councillors play a vital role in our democratic system, making key decisions that impact our city. I encourage as many residents as possible to take part in this by-election.”

“The election will use the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system, where voters rank candidates in order of preference by assigning numbers rather than just marking a single cross. You can choose to vote for as many or as few candidates as you wish.”

Poll cards will be delivered to registered voters in the area from today (Tuesday 15 October) including further information on when and where to vote.

If you live in the Colinton/Fairmilehead ward you must register to vote by 29 October and anyone wishing to vote by post can sign up for a new postal vote up until 30 October. 

You can also apply for someone to vote on your behalf via proxy voting, with the deadline for new proxy vote applications on 6 November (for registered voters). 

Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm and will be at:

  • Charwood
  • Fairmilehead Parish Church Hall
  • St. Cuthbert’s Episcopal Church Hall
  • Oxgangs Neighbourhood Centre
  • Pentland Community Centre

The electronic election count will take place on Friday 15 November starting at 9:30am. 

The by-election follows the resignation of Councillor and former Transport and Environment Convener Scott Arthur, following his election as the MP for Edinburgh South West on 4 July 2024.

Find out more about the Colinton/Fairmilehead by-election on the Council website.

Candidates for Edinburgh’s five UK Parliamentary constituencies confirmed

The full list of candidates standing in Edinburgh’s five constituencies for the UK Parliament General Election on 4 July has been confirmed.

Applications closed at 4pm yesterday.

The nominated candidates for each constituency are listed below and on the Council website.

Edinburgh East and Musselburgh:

Scottish Liberal Democrats – DUNDAS, Charles

Independent – GOULD, Jane Mackenzie

Scottish Greens – GRIMM, Amanda Faye

Scottish Conservative and Unionist – MUNRO, Marie-Clair

Scottish Labour Party – MURRAY, Chris

Scottish National Party (SNP) – SHEPPARD, Tommy

Reform UK – WINTON, Derek Steven

Edinburgh North and Leith:

Scottish Liberal Democrats – ANDERSEN, Mike

Scottish National Party (SNP) – BROCK, Deidre

Scottish Family Party – Defending Traditional Values – DEEPNARAIN, Niel

Scottish Labour Party – GILBERT, Tracy

Socialist Labour Party – JACOBSEN, David Don

Reform UK – MELVILLE, Alan Gordon

Scottish Conservative and Unionist – MOWAT, Joanna

Scottish Greens – O’NEILL, Kayleigh Ferguson

Communist Party of Britain – SHILLCOCK, Richard Charles

Independent – WATERLOO, Caroline

Edinburgh South:

Scottish Conservative and Unionist – COWDY, Christopher

Scottish Family Party – Promoting Traditional Values – HOLDEN, Phil

Scottish National Party (SNP) – KUMAR, Simita

Alba Party: Yes to Scottish Independence – LYON, Lynne

Independent – MARTIN, Alex

Scottish Labour Party – MURRAY, Ian

Scottish Greens – PHILLIPS, JO

Reform UK – ROSE, Cameron

Independent – ROWBOTHAM, Mark

Scottish Liberal Democrats – WILLIAMSON, Andy

Edinburgh South West:

Scottish Labour Party – ARTHUR, Scott

Scottish National Party (SNP) – CHERRY, Joanna

Reform UK – HARPER, Ian

Scottish Greens – HEAP, Dan

Scottish Family Party – LUCAS, Richard Crewe

Scottish Conservative and Unionist – WEBBER, Sue

Independent – WILKINSON, Marc Richard

Scottish Liberal Democrats – WILSON, Bruce Roy

Edinburgh West:

Scottish Labour Party – DAVIDSON, Michael Colin

Independent – HENRY, David

Independent – HORNIG, Nick

Scottish National Party (SNP) – HYSLOP, Euan

Reform UK – INGLIS, Otto

Scottish Liberal Democrats – JARDINE, Christine Anne

Scottish Libertarian Party – LAIRD, Tam

Scottish Greens – PUCHOWSKI, James Konrad

Scottish Conservative and Unionist – SHIELDS, Alastair

Returning Officer for Edinburgh, Andrew Kerr said: “Today marks one step closer to the Capital going to the polls, and we now crucially know who our residents will have the opportunity to vote for on 4 July.  

“We want everyone to be able to exercise their democratic right and vote in this General Election. Due to its timing, we’re expecting increased demand for postal and proxy votes and I’d encourage everyone to make the appropriate arrangements as soon as possible – whether that’s registering to vote, applying for different ways to vote or ensuring they have the correct photo ID.

“I want to thank our colleagues who are working hard to ensure this election runs smoothly and efficiently for the people of Edinburgh.”

Detailed advice on registering to vote, the use of postal and proxy votes and other guidance is available on the Council’s website.

This is the first General Election where voters must show a form of photo identification (ID) to cast their ballot.

list of approved forms of ID and information on how to obtain a free voter ID are also available on the website.