We have a unique opportunity to influence Edinburgh Council policy coming up- the Local Government elections on 5th May means that many of Edinburgh’s 62 Councillors will be fighting hard for seats over the next month. If you are wondering who is standing each ward at a glance, folk can see the list of candidates using the Council website across the City’s 17 wards: Edinburgh candidates for Council elections announced – The City of Edinburgh Council . We have the Single Transferable Vote system of voting; each ward therefore might have two candidates from the same Party; if that Party is very strong in that area, both will get elected.
So, believe it or not, Council candidates are waiting around to hear from you. They are hungry to know what the issues are. You have a unique chance to make your feelings felt.
IF YOU LIVE OUTSIDE EDINBURGH
Quite a few of you don’t live in Edinburgh; it’s up to you whether you put your postal address into your email; if a candidate knows you live in Thailand, they are hardly likely to reply to you! I would suggest that those of you that don’t live in Edinburgh focus your energy on the city’s leaders: Cllr Adam McVey (City Leader) adam.mcvey@edinburgh.gov.uk , Cllr Frank Ross (Lord Provost) frank.ross@edinburgh.gov.uk, Cllr Cammy Day (Labour Leader) cammy.day@edinburgh.gov.uk , Cllr Robert Aldridge (Lib Dems) robert.aldridge@edinburgh.gov.uk , Cllr Steve Burgess (Greens) Steve.Burgess@edinburgh.gov.uk…
But the really important ones are the Tories-Cllr Iain Whyte (Tory Leader) iain.whyte@edinburgh.gov.uk
Why? Because they were going to put in a motion to Policy Committee on the 29th March condemning twinning with Gaza as giving support to Hamas. Please focus your arguments on the Tories, as they represent our greatest obstacle to progress and they are strong in the city (at present they hold a third of our 62 seats). Please write to Iain, and copy in his colleagues on the Policy Committee- jim.campbell@edinburgh.gov.uk, nick.cook@edinburgh.gov.uk, graham.hutchison@edinburgh.gov.uk . They will try and ignore you because you are not living in Edinburgh, but maybe you can explain that their opposition reflects badly on the City’s international reputation- ask them to watch Norman Finkelstein’s 4- minute video, which is directly addressed to them (see Norman explaining why twinning with Gaza has nothing to do with Hamas in 4 mins at youtu.be/UmeraZ3SGh0 ).
When you write to these city leaders and indeed, all candidates, can you make it clear that if twinning is agreed, it should be undertaken through the activism of the Edina-Gaza Twinning Association? (at www.twingaza.com/edina-gaza-twinning-association/ ). At the moment, the City Leader wants to farm all twinning activity off to the Edinburgh Partnership, which would be the kiss of death to twinning- this is a talking-shop for bureaucrats, as their website illustrates.
IF YOU LIVE IN EDINBURGH
So- for the rest of us who are Edinburgh citizens- we use this fantastic tool- Who Can I Vote For? to enter your residential postcode; it will give you the profile and thence the email address of every candidate for your ward. You/ your friends/ every member of your family can email them ASAP asking them if they would support Edinburgh twinning with Gaza, asking them to visit www.twingaza.com to get acquainted with the issues- there is even a letter on our site you can copy bits out of to help make your case at www.twingaza.com/what-you-can-do/#Cllr-letter Usually there is no point in emailing those who haven’t a hope; the ones to focus on are in the SNP, Labour, Conservative, Lib Dem, Green. But it’s up to you, of course. You can even promise them your vote if they support Gaza..!
When politicians want to get elected, they’ll agree to just about anything. It’s also excellent fuel for a press release from me.. but it’s essential to get writing to them now, whilst their email in-tray is still relatively empty- you’ll struggle to get a reply in 3 weeks’ time. Because, remember – we go to the polls on 5th May.
If any candidate is in favour of twinning with Gaza, we can even stand at the polling booths around the city on the day telling voters to vote for them! I’ve done many elections.. believe me, it can make a difference. In every single polling station, the candidates will be jumping at the news of this direct lobbying- and take note.
To reiterate- you can find the contact details of all candidates for the local area where you live here https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/
Again, when you write to these city leaders and indeed, all candidates, can you make it clear that if twinning is agreed, it should be undertaken through the activism of the Edina-Gaza Twinning Association? (at www.twingaza.com/edina-gaza-twinning-association/ ). At the moment, the City Leader wants to farm all twinning activity off to the Edinburgh Partnership, which would be the kiss of death to twinning- this is a talking-shop for bureaucrats, as their website illustrates.
Dr R. Eric Swanepoel has written the perfect letter to his candidates
Here is Eric’s email: Issues which will decide my local election vote: Gaza twinning and fossil fuel divestment | The BioWrite Blog (wordpress.com). He invites his Council candidates to view this excellent Jewish Voice for Peace video.
TO EVERYBODY…
It would be great if you can send all candidate replies to me here at info@twingaza.com so as I can build a picture of where our Councillors stand; should the legal advice go our way, it will be useful to know their views prior to the next Council Policy meeting on the 7th June.
Finally, if you want to drive home why people die every day because of the blockade.. see this from Brent friends of Palestine “Palestinian baby dies after treatment delayed by Israeli blockade of Gaza” at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/01/palestinian-baby-dies-after-treatment-delayed-by-israeli-blockade-of-gaza