On Thursday 3 September, by-elections took place in Edinburgh’s Ward 15 Southside/Newington and Ward 17 Portobello/Craigmillar.
The polls were open between 7am and 10pm in both wards, with counting beginning as the polls closed.
The Student attended the counting of the votes and the declaration of the result.
Turnout was noted as low by many candidates and council officials, with 27.3% in the Southside/Newington Ward and 22.9% in the Portobello/Craigmillar Ward. The quota of votes for the candidate to be elected was 3,354.
After midnight, the results for each ward were announced, with the Southside/Newington Ward coming in first.
Ruth Elliot, candidate for Scottish Labour, was elected for the Southside/Newington ward.
Lorenzo Martinico, candidate for Scottish Greens, was elected for the Portobello/Craigmillar Ward. With 1,781 votes, Martinico is the first Scottish Green candidate to win a council by-election in Edinburgh.
The Southside/Newington ward has a large student population, and is the location of much of the University of Edinburgh’s campus. The Student spoke to candidates for the Southside/Newington Ward to find out their views on student-related issues and how they would approach them if they were elected as councillor.
Ruth Elliot – Labour Candidate (Elected Councillor for Southside/Newington Ward 15)
When asked what the single biggest issue affecting students was, candidate Ruth Elliot spoke on housing.
“I’ve been there, sofa-surfing, really struggling to find a flat every year […] We need to tackle short-term rents […] and we need rent controls, and we need rent controls to apply to student accommodations because right now they don’t.”
As a University of Edinburgh alumni, Elliot has experience running for the student union as Sabbatical Officer. Elliot expressed that she would like the university to invest in student housing cooperatives to give cheaper options for accommodations.
One of Ruth Elliot’s main campaigning strategies was her use of social media to connect with young voters, speaking openly about the significance of a young woman holding a local council position.On the topic of the importance of representation, Elliot said: “I hope that people feel like there is somebody standing up for them.”
The Student spoke with Elliot following the result, and she stated that she wants to continue using social media platforms to connect with students and young constituents.
Nick Layden – Scottish Conservative and Unionist
Nick Layden felt that the issues being faced by students in the Southside/Newington ward do not differ from those faced by everybody through insufficient council services, such as a failure to fix potholes.
The Student asked Layden about university funding and student housing, which he saw as an issue outside of the council’s hands.
“Some of the policies implemented by the Scottish Government…are not good for keeping costs low […] The exodus of landlords from the rental market has pushed up the price of accommodation and has a disproportionate impact on students who are not in the position to buy.”
We also asked Layden about the increase of chain businesses and the closure of small businesses in the Southside/Newington ward, which he said was “inevitable” due to a “much tougher business model.”
“The increase of taxes on employment […] make running a small business much more difficult than it should be.”
Sam Mackenzie – SNP
As a student himself, Sam Mackenzie stood out as being the youngest candidate running in this by-election. Regarding the participation of young people in local politics, he noted “Young people make Edinburgh what it is […they] should use their opportunity to affect the city that they live in.”
When asked what he thought the biggest issue facing students in Edinburgh was, the candidate spoke on housing.
“The beginning of the month is a horrifying period where we all have to tighten our belts to try and find rent money.” To address this, he said that he would use the tourist levy implemented by the SNP to fund the building of more affordable housing, which would take the pressure off the private rental market in the city centre.
On the increase of tourist-oriented businesses at the detriment of local amenities, Mackenzie said: “There should be more consultation around some tourist shops that are built […] but there is only so much that can be done. People should be allowed to build the businesses that they want […] but I think the council should keep a closer eye.”
Gary Neill – Reform UK
When asked what he saw as the biggest issue students face, Gary Neill commented on student debt and a lack of employment opportunities.
“The big thing for me is to help these young people get the job they’ve spent two, three, four years working hard to study for […] What I would do as a councillor would be raising that profile with our big employers […] and I would like those employers to favour indigenous Scottish students before they start going further afield.”
The University of Edinburgh has claimed that they are in financial deficit, and acknowledged that they rely on international student fees for a large portion of their income. When asked how Scottish students can be prioritised within this financial model, Neill told us that whilst it’s great that international students “value the quality of education in Scotland […] there’s too much to be studied.”
The candidate emphasised the importance of “core subjects”, such as “life sciences,” and said he wanted to see a move away from degrees in the arts to allow for more sustainable career paths. Neill stated that the arts should be pursued with a backup option, such as an engineering degree, due to their competitive nature.
Regarding housing, Neill recognised the housing problem in Edinburgh, but argued that it is happening not due to a lack of housing, but because of the “absolute nonsense” regulations placed on private landlords limiting the number of properties coming onto the market.
Richard Shillcock – Communist Party of Britain
Apart from housing and cost of living, Shillcock said that fees are one of the biggest burdens students face.
Speaking of a “broken model” where “education has been turned into a commodity,” the candidate admitted that although it is outside council jurisdiction, it is still the root to some of the problems faced by students in Edinburgh.
The candidate expressed that the issues faced by students in Edinburgh can only really be solved if they are addressed across the UK, especially by returning “back to fully-funded degrees.”
“I think the university needs to think more carefully, they just went for growth. […] Collaboration with the people that live here, the community, that should’ve been a more democratic process. Just the university higher ups saying ‘grow the university’ like they were in charge of some company was the wrong thing to do.”
Regarding housing, Shillcock spoke of the central policy of the Communist Party “to build council houses […] council houses are the only way to solve the housing problem.”
The candidate also expressed that the Communist Party’s policies are price caps on major food items, as well as rent freezes.
Ultimately, Shillcock expressed that his main reason for standing was representation, and had a central aim of increasing participation: “People died for your right to vote so people should certainly exercise that right.”
Isabella Gastel Alajandre, candidate for Scottish Greens in the Southside/Newington Ward was approached for an interview, but we were unable to get a comment on the night.
Photo by Mark Chan for The Student.
