Lothian

I’m Ben Parker and I am the Green candidate for Morningside ward in Edinburgh for the local elections in 2022. Morningside ward covers Marchmont, Bruntsfield and Polwarth around the university / Meadows / canal area, and also Merchiston, Morningside and Greenbank further in the south of the city. This part of the city is special because of the different local high streets and abundance of Green space all around - from the Meadows and Astley Ainslie site, to Blackford Hill and the Hermitage / Braid.

I have lived in Edinburgh since 2015 when I moved here for university. I graduated in 2019 and have been working for a Scotland-wide housing charity ever since. Naturally, I have an interest in housing policy as well as “active travel”, and I am supportive of work to make walking / wheeling / cycling safer for people.

We’ve had a Green councillor elected in Morningside for the past 15 years, so I’m hoping to make it 20 years of Green representation in the ward. There are lots of ways you can get involved - from knocking on doors and delivering newsletters, to supporting with social media or other background “admin” tasks. Please get in touch if you have any time to spare!

Originally from North Lanarkshire, Kayleigh moved to Edinburgh for university and has since worked for Euan’s Guide and Inclusion Scotland. She now works for Lorna Slater, MSP in the Scottish Parliament. In 2021, Kayleigh was elected the Welfare & Conduct Officer for the SGP Women’s Network.

As a caseworker, Kayleigh works and communicates with Edinburgh council daily and helps constituents across the Lothians. She has helped people on housing waiting lists, solved waste issues, advocated for better healthcare provision and raises the voices of those who can’t or perhaps don’t know how.

She is a full-time wheelchair user and advocates for better accessibility for disabled people in all realms of life. Within Forth ward Kayleigh believes there should be better access to warm, safe and affordable homes. She supports 20-minute neighbourhoods and wants people to have access to everything they need in walking, cycling and wheeling distance. Through better active travel this can help people and the planet.