Scottish Green candidates for the two Edinburgh council by-elections on 3rd September have been announced. Party members in Edinburgh voted to select Isabella Gastel Alejandre for Southside/Newington ward, and Lorenzo Martinico for Portobello/Craigmillar ward.
The by-elections are due to the resignation of two SNP councillors, following their election to the Scottish Parliament in May.
Isabella Gastel Alejandre, a Mathematics graduate from Edinburgh University, lives in the Southside where she currently works as a self-employed gardener. She runs several voluntary projects, including a permaculture community garden, a clothes repair workshops for students, and a climate discussion forum for young people.
Southside/Newington Green Councillor Steve Burgess who has represented the ward since 2007, said,
“Isabella really impressed me door-knocking during our successful Holyrood election campaign. I am so looking forward to campaigning alongside her again, and confident that we can win. She will be a brilliant addition to our hard-working team of Green councillors, representing residents here and holding the failing Labour council administration to account. Labour has only hung on to power in Edinburgh with supported from Tory and LibDem councillors – it’s time to demand better.”
Lorenzo Martinico lives in Portobello. He is active in the housing co-operative movement and campaigns on issues including homelessness, tenants rights and food poverty. He works in co-operative development and as a member of a cargo bike delivery co-op, and was previously a postdoctoral researcher at Edinburgh University, specialising in computer security and digital privacy.
Portobello/Craigmillar councillor, Alys Mumford said,
“Lorenzo brings fantastic knowledge of community action across Portobello, and a deep commitment to making lives better in the ongoing cost of living crisis. Edinburgh is in the midst of a housing emergency, and this is felt keenly across the ward, especially in areas like Craigmillar and Niddrie which have suffered from being ignored for too long. Lorenzo’s background in supporting tenants will be a huge boost for this area and I can’t wait to have him on board as a collegue in the Council to help advocate for the people of Portobello/Craigmillar.”
Across Edinburgh, the Scottish Greens got more Regional List votes than any other party at the Holyrood election last May, electing three MSPs to represent the Region, and winning the Edinburgh Central constituency which overlaps with Southside/Newington. Scottish Greens had the most campaigners on the ground knocking doors, and look forward to repeating that electoral success by harnessing their large base of enthusiastic volunteers.