• Portobello Community Council
  • c/o 14 Rosefield Avenue
  • Portobello
  • EH15 1AU
 

Maureen Child Update 11 May 2017

Posted on: May 11th, 2017

Dear All,

 

Thank you very much indeed to the 2,378 people who voted for me as their No 1 choice on the Council Election Ballot a short week ago on 4 May. I got through the Quota  (2,087) and was Elected on the first round.  That was 22.8% of the 1st Preference votes on a 47.6% turnout.  For those who want to scrutinise the numbers in more detail, feel free!  Results here: http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/9292/ward_17_portobello_craigmillar_-_results_2017.pdf The counting system called Single Transferable Vote (STV) is complicated, but every single preference vote (1-7 on your ballot paper) really did count. 

 

The consequence of all this is that you have me bothering you with weekly Updates again (unless you unsubscribe, of course).  Another consequence is that I have three new Councillor colleaguesMary Campbell, Kate Campbell and Callum Laidlaw.  I have copied your new Portobello/Craigmillar Councillors in to this email so you can contact them direct. 

 Mary Campbell <Mary.Campbell@edinburgh.gov.uk>, 

Kate Campbell <Kate.Campbell@edinburgh.gov.uk>,

 Callum Laidlaw <Callum.Laidlaw@edinburgh.gov.uk>

We four Local Councillors for Portobello/Craigmillar have agreed to work together as a team for the common good of the varied communities and neighbourhoods we are all four elected to serve.  Many people have observed and remarked – in watching the local election hustings, in how we chatted amicably outside polling stations, and in what we have set out as our local priorities – how little may actually divide us. The dust has not yet settled on who is in or out of the Council Administration citywide.  But we four Local Elected Members are meeting first thing on Monday morning to talk about local matters and work out how best to work as a local team. There will obviously be a few issues that we will disagree on; priorities, interests and time commitments that will differ; but we have much more in common than the few things that may divide us.

 

When I was first elected in 1995, I represented Milton Ward (Ward 40 of 58 Wards) of the City of Edinburgh Council and less than 6,500 Electors.  We four Councillors now represent a much wider area and many more people.  Portobello/Craigmillar (Ward 17) has 22,360 Electors on the Electoral Roll. In those days, Councillors had no mobile phones, no email and no internet and a lot less was expected and demanded of us. Despite all the modern technology at our disposal, I firmly believe it’s impossible to do the job as Councillor really effectively unless we work as a team, as far as we possibly can.  I had six new individual cases to deal with over the weekend and two people came to my surgery at Portobello Town Hall, so I have been kept as busy as ever – and happy to serve.

 

Dividing up the Portobello/Craigmillar Ward area between the four of us is not an option.  We are elected to represent every single one of you – even the ones who didn’t vote for us, or didn’t vote at all and the 223 people who spoiled their ballot papers – accidentally or on purpose. And we have a duty to the children and young people in the Ward who have no vote at all!

 

There were over 200 ballots on which voters put X and X against two candidates’ names for their preferred political Party but didn’t indicate their preference between the two by putting a 1 and a 2.  These XX ballots were not counted as valid votes and were rejected. I do hope that did not include any of you!

 

Never mind all the above – the sun is shining, the Figgate Pond swans have hatched eight ducklings and it’s the European Women’s Beach Volleyball Championships at Portobello Beach this weekend 13 and 14 May, hosted by the Scottish Volleyball Association.  The home team is preparing to qualify for the Commonwealth Games. If I did one good link-up this week, putting the beach volleyball people in touch with Portobello and Joppa Parish Church so they can have an emergency loan of some tables and chairs for adjudicators at their event this weekend.  Thanks, Rev. Stewart Weaver – you are a Local Star in my book! 

 

Have a great weekend, when it comes around!

 

Best wishes

 

Maureen

 

 

Councillor Maureen Child | Labour Elected Member | Portobello/Craigmillar (Ward 17) | City of Edinburgh Council | City Chambers | High Street | Edinburgh | EH1 1YJ | Tel 0131 529 3268 | Mobile 07718 666 481| Twitter @MaureenChild1

 

Please Note – My ‘Surgery’ times and places are under review at the moment.

 

p.s.  Please let me know if you don’t want to receive emails like this from me and I’ll take you off my list.  Equally if you want to share it, please do.

                                                          

View agendas, minutes and public reports for the Council and its main Committees at http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/cpol

Find out how to submit a petition here http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/petitions

Watch the Council and Committee meetings live or on playback at http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/webcast

 

 

 

 

 

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