Candidate Q Manivannan has been selected by the Greens to contest the vacancy left by the sad death of Labour councillor Val Walker. It comes after a year of turmoil for city’s ruling Labour group and their Tory and Lib Dem backers. So the election is widely-seen as potential make or break for that troubled alliance.
Q Manivannan said:
“I am excited to be standing here in Fountainbridge-Craiglockhart. Ours is a Green area which twice elected former councillor Gavin Corbett, with the highest Green vote in Scotland. So I know people would love to have a Green councillor again.
“I am passionate about a kinder, more caring politics; politics that includes everyone, and listens to people and communities. And in our ward, I want to see real action on traffic and road safety, on protecting our precious green spaces, on fairer rents and better rights for tenants. And so much more.
“My heart goes out to the family, friends and colleagues of Val with her very sudden passing. In the wake of all the harsh things happening in the world right now, I want to bring new energy, new ideas and a more caring style to the City Chambers.
“I am so looking forward to meeting many more residents over the next few weeks.”
Gavin Corbett, the former Green councillor for the area from 2012 to 2021, added:
“I am delighted that we have selected a candidate who offers a real distinctive choice to people in Fountainbridge-Craiglockhart. Over the last three years the running of the council has been chaotic, with a barely-functioning Labour group, propped up by Tory and Lib Dem allies.
“Our capital city and our community here deserves so much better. I believe that the race here in Fountainbridge-Craiglockhart will be a choice between a second Tory councillor and the return of a Green councillor. I’ll be working tirelessly to highlight why a Green choice is the right choice.”
Q Manivannan is from the Tamil community and was born in India in 1997, making their home in Scotland since 2021. Q has worked in the United Nations, in trade unions, voluntary organisations, and as an award-winning scholar in universities. Q has won the Kavya Prize for Scottish writers of colour in 2023 and co-convenes the Palestine Solidarity Group for the Scottish Greens.
To find out more about the campaign contact fountainbridge-craiglockhart@scottishgreens.org.uk