Edinburgh council elections 2022: ward-by-ward analysis: Leith

Gordon Munro is not standing again. Picture: Neil Hanna.

Ward 13: Leith

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The longest-serving of Leith’s three councillors, Labour’s Gordon Munro, is bowing out after nearly 20 years on the council. The other two – SNP council leader Adam McVey and Green Chas Booth, who have both served for ten years – hope to carry on.

Cllr Munro made a name for himself by challenging Cllr McVey, as leader of the administration, at every council meeting with the same question: what had he done to lobby his SNP colleagues at Holyrood for a better deal for Edinburgh?

Labour’s new candidate is Katrina Faccenda, a trade unionist and campaigner, currently a research and policy adviser in the Scottish Parliament, who has worked for more than 30 years in the tourism industry.

Cllr McVey comfortably topped the poll here in 2017 with the Greens in second place, narrowly ahead of Labour.

Labour put up two candidates here in the first multi-member election in 2007, but only Cllr Munro was elected. At the following election in 2012 Labour stuck with one candidate, but the SNP fielded two, which resulted in Cllr McVey being elected but party colleague, former Deputy Lord Provost Rob Munn losing out. Some blamed the “alphabet effect” where a candidate whose name comes first on the ballot paper gets more votes than a colleague further down the list. Cllr Munn later returned to the council for the neighbouring Leith Walk ward. No party stood more than one candidate last time and none is trying it this time either.

The Tories have never had a councillor here, but they are fielding Teresa Perchard, former policy director with Citizens Advice, as their candidate.

And the Lib Dems, who held a seat here between 2007 and 2012, are standing Robin Rea, head of digital communications with the party.

There are also candidates from Alba and the Scottish Family Party and one independent.

2017: SNP 36.2 per cent; Greens 22.3 per cent; Labour 20.3 per cent; Conservatives 15.9 per cent; Lib Dems 5.3 per cent.

Current councillors: Adam McVey (SNP), Chas Booth (Green), Gordon Munro (Lab)

Electorate 19,268

Candidates

BOOTH, Chas – Scottish Green Party

FACCENDA, Katrina – Scottish Labour Party

ISSERI, Jacqueline Mary – Scottish Family Party: Pro-Family, Pro-Marriage, Pro-Life

MACKENZIE, Andy – Independent

MCGLYNN, Euan – Alba Party for independence

MCVEY, Adam – Scottish National Party (SNP)

PERCHARD, Teresa – Scottish Conservative and Unionist

REA, Robin Thomas – Scottish Liberal Democrats