Our festive councillor elves have been working hard this season to help constituents across the city and push for change in all our council business.
We especially want to welcome Ross McKenzie – our new Green-aligned Independent who is excited to get stuck in with the group. From next year he will be on the Finance and Resources Committee and continuing his great work in the Sighthill/Gorgie ward.
We want to really thank everyone who came along to our festive party and have supported us in every way this year. It is a privilege to be your councillor group and we all wish you a very peaceful and joyful break.
Green councillor highlights from the month
Asked to pick one highlight from the month, our councillors chose:
Alex Staniforth
At a special meeting of Finance and Resources Committee Alex secured agreement for a report in January to potentially extend the council’s Third Sector Resilience Fund to organisations that had health and social care contracts through the Integration Joint Board that have been cancelled as part of the same cuts to third sector grants.
Alys Mumford
Alys has been taking time away from council duties to care for a family member.
Ben Parker
Ben had a number of interesting speaking engagements this month including speaking at the Edinburgh Tenant’s Federation AGM – the first time a Green/non-administration council member has been invited to speak (!) – and also at a meeting of the local Explorer Scouts, talking to young people about the importance of politics. I seemed to have an easier time of it than my Conservative colleague who was grilled on a number of issues…
Chas Booth
Chas has been working with community groups to support proposals for not-for-profit heat networks in Edinburgh and the Lothians, as a means to address both climate emissions and fuel poverty. Chas successfully brought a motion to full council in December, which will strengthen joint working with community groups and press the UK and Scottish Governments for clarity and leadership on the issue.
Claire Miller
This month Claire has focused on the progress towards ending poverty in Edinburgh, both at the Edinburgh Partnership, and at the council’s Policy and Sustainability Committee. At committee Claire highlighted the Scottish Government funding that had been allocated to mitigate the two child benefit cap (which will now be scrapped) and to target it towards ending poverty by increasing the Scottish Child Payment and increasing spend on social housing. She was successful in getting support for her proposal to write to ministers calling for this.
Dan Heap
Dan won a commitment from the Culture and Communities Committee Convenor to ask Capital Theatres for the number of people who work within but who are not employed by Capital Theatres, and therefore not covered by its Real Living Wage Policy.
Jule Bandel
Has been off on long term sick leave.
Kayleigh Kinross-O’Neill
Kayleigh has had a busy December helping Chas bring Ross on board through her role as co-convener. She has also enjoyed meetings and work that has been looking into the sustainability and accessibility of the wider Council estate (libraries, schools, community centres etc.)
Steve Burgess
At the council’s Pensions Committee, Steve Burgess won agreement that the Lothian Pension Fund (LPF) considers investment in local house-building, both to help alleviate the city’s housing emergency and provide stable, competitive income to pay pensions. He also got agreement that a plan be brought forward in March with a view to strengthening the LPF Climate policy.
Susan Rae
At full council, Susan had a successful motion to provide bleed kits in schools and community centres, in support of the campaign organised by Lisa Petrie, the mother of John McNab who was tragically stabbed to death in Great Junction Street on the 2nd September.
Green-aligned Independent councillor Ross McKenzie
Asked to pick one highlight from the month, Ross chose:
Ross was delighted to see the completion of work to repair a damaged retaining wall and sinkhole on the Burnside Path, which connects Longstone with Stenhouse along the Water of Leith.
With Green Group support, Ross has been working closely with Longstone Community Council since he was elected to highlight the need for improved active travel routes in this area, bringing motions to the Transport and Environment Committee to ‘Save the Burnside’ and to initiate a new active travel route between Longstone and Chesser which is currently under design.
Committee updates
Committee updates and other things to look out for in the coming month.
Policy and Sustainability
At committee, we were successful in getting agreement to build community cohesion into the council’s new Community Wealth Building plan. We also brought an amendment asking for an emergency climate summit to address the fact that the council’s own emissions will significantly overshoot our carbon budget next year, but unfortunately that was not successful. We will continue to push for action to address this.
Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work
At committee, Ben was delighted to see the council finally agree to see funding from the forthcoming tourist tax go towards council housing. This is a big Green win after Ben first proposed the idea of spending money from the tourist tax on housing back in 2023. We now have concrete plans that around 500 affordable homes will be delivered from this funding – and over 75% of these will be for social rent.
Transport and Environment
We didn’t have a parent committee this month, but instead, Kayleigh sat on the Traffic Regulation Order Subcommittee and got very frustrated with other groups! The SNP joined the Liberal Democrats and Conservative group to vote down a controlled parking zone and safety measures in Portobello. This was a disappointing shift in their usual policy and practice.
Culture and Communities
Dan and Steve will be following-up commitments won at previous Committees, including recent ones on offering Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training to Community Councils; install better recycling and waste facilities at Council tennis courts and to use royalties the Council earns from Ancestry.com in respect of burial records to increase funding for Friends of Cemetries groups.
Health and Social Care
At the Integration Joint Board (IJB), Ross (substituting for Alys) asked questions about the replacement of voting members from the NHS Board after the Edinburgh Trade Union Council raised concerns that they were being “removed for voting against cuts”.
There are longstanding concerns about decision-making processes at the IJB and while this change is likely to make it more difficult for Greens to shape Health & Social Care policy, it won’t stop us from trying.
You must be logged in to post a comment.