The Labour Party held its ‘hustings’ event to nominate a new MSP candidate for the Edinburgh Central constituency on Wednesday, 17 September.
Members of Scottish Labour from the constituency met at Augustine United church, where candidates gave speeches and answered questions from the audience.
When the voting process began, there were four candidates: Doug Thomson, Dr Zack Hassan, Rebecca Bell, and Councillor James Dalgleish. Shortly before the in-person events began, though, Doug Thomson withdrew from the contest.
Each speech featured a similar tone and message, with candidates attacking the SNP, addressing issues within public services, and highlighting the growing inequality in Scotland.
Rebecca Bell, the first candidate to speak, began her speech by asking party members to “think of what is at stake,” before claiming that the SNP had “overseen a decline for 18 years,” and that they were “out of ideas, with nothing new [to offer].”
Dr Zack Hassan, who was the next to speak, hit similar notes in his appeal, claiming that, unlike the SNP, Labour’s plan was “not to manage decline but to avoid collapse.”
Councillor James Dalgleish was the last to give a speech, in which he drew upon his successful experiences in the Edinburgh city council. “I’ve delivered in council, and now I want to deliver in the Scottish Parliament,” he said at one point in his speech.
Members voted in a First Past the Post system, allowing them to only select one candidate. Mail-in voting was also available from 8 September until 12 September, for those unable to attend in person.
Following the voting, Councillor Dalgleish was named the new Labour candidate for Edinburgh Central.
Councillor Dalgleish offered a comment to The Student, detailing his priorities and the importance of a Labour victory for students in Edinburgh.
“First and foremost, my priority is being an accountable and hardworking MSP for Edinburgh Central residents. I will make sure your voice is a part of the decision-making process in Holyrood.
“I will fully play my part to tackle the issues that affect students, from housing pressures and the cost-of-living issues, to better supporting Universities to do their job, such as introducing multi-year funding settlements to help guard against cuts that will damage the abilities of teachers to teach and students to learn.”
The seat for Edinburgh Central is currently held by Angus Robertson of the SNP. With the Holyrood elections set to take place on 7 May 2026, the Edinburgh Central seat is one that Labour will be keen to pick up.
“Augustine United Church, George IV Bridge – geograph.org.uk – 2516553” by kim traynor is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.