The Edinburgh Reporter May 2022

2 NEWS
Letters to the editor
Helping the blind
Mary’s Meals
Editorial
THIS MONTH voters all over Scotland shape
the future of their local councils for the next
five years. All of this is affected by national
and international politics, and the climate
emergency. We have eight years within which
to achieve net zero carbon in Edinburgh –
something which the council is bound to try
and do in terms of Scottish Government
legislation. There is also an obligation to
report any progress being made each year.
Since 2005/06 carbon emissions in the city
have reduced by 60%, and in 2020 the council
reported it was a year ahead of where it
thought it would be. One of the biggest
reasons for reduction advances was the
introduction of waste processing at Millerhill
where rubbish also generates energy.
Edinburgh Solar Co-op which installs solar
panels on public buildings is now six years
old and generating its own renewable energy,
saving both on emissions and costs.
The rising cost of fuel for vehicles is tied to
global price rises, and the war in Ukraine is
playing its part in that.
With the cost of living on the rise, the
council will have to constantly review its own
finances, although a new council elected this
month will at least start off with the annual
budget already agreed earlier this year.
It seems likely that more families in
Edinburgh will be forced to resort to food
banks, and the 80,000 people living in
poverty here, according to the Poverty
Commission set up by the last council
coalition, may increase. All the more reason
then to choose any new council wisely.
On our website you will find profiles of a
majority of candidates, and copies of all the
manifestos we have been able to find. There is
a brief breakdown of some key policies on
Pages 4 and 5 in this issue to help you decide
who to vote for.
We always look in many corners of the city
for news and were pleased to discover the
new mural in Braidburn Valley Park –
a triumph for the Friends group there.
Roddy Martine relates another chapter in
the story of Ricky Demarco and the film
made about him and his life’s work – musing
it is perhaps too much for one lifetime.
As ever I hope you enjoy our monthly look
at the news in Edinburgh.
Phyllis Stephen
Editor
Dear Madam,
With the elections for Scotland’s local
authorities happening on 5 May, it is
important to emphasise the vital role councils
play in helping blind and partially sighted
people to live as independently and
inclusively as possible.
People with a visual impairment are more
likely to depend on services from their local
council, for information that’s readily
available in alternative formats, public
transport that’s accessible, streets and
thoroughfares that allow people to walk
safely and without obstacles, education that
allows every child to reach their full potential,
and employment that’s informed by a better
understanding of what those with sight
loss can do.
Around 178,000 people are currently living
with a significant degree of sight loss in
Scotland, of whom over 4,000 are children
and young people. Our ageing population
and the increase in sight-threatening
conditions such as diabetes means this
number will, inevitably, grow.
Let’s make one positive legacy of the
BRINGING THE NEWS TO YOU
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GET IN
TOUCH
TODAY!
upheaval we’ve all been through a resolve to
make sure we re-emerge as a society in which
no one is left at the margins. Our local
authorities are absolutely key to this.
Yours sincerely, James Adams, director
of the Royal National Institute of
Blind People (RNIB Scotland)
It’s all about
the numbers
63 councillors will be elected
on 5 May in 17 city council wards
22 councillors are retiring or
stepping down at this election
There are 15 political parties
fielding candidates at this election
There are 10 Independent
candidates - and six of those are
standing in the City Centre Ward
There are seven candidates
standing in seven wards for the
newest party - the Alba Party
One Communist Party candidate
is standing in Leith Walk Ward
Other less well known political
bodies include the Women’s
Equality Party who have put
forward one male and one female
candidate and there is also the
Workers’ Party of Britain
The Scottish Libertarian Party
have five candidates standing.
The Scottish Family Party have a
For advertising and
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editor@the
edinburgh
reporter.co.uk Donate anchor.fm YouTube
Dear Madam,
I’m proud to support Mary’s Meals, a charity
which feeds more than two million children in
some of the world’s poorest countries every
school day. With spring now upon us, it’s an
ideal time for your readers to get active to
help Mary’s Meals reach more hungry children.
The Great Kindrochit Quadrathlon is an
opportunity to swim, run, kayak and cycle
around Loch Tay, Perthshire. Or they could try
hiking one of three routes in the Pentland Hills
for the Artemis Pentland Peaks Challenge.
Readers can also set their own Move for Meals
challenge and jog, climb, even disco dance
anywhere in the UK to raise funds!
Taking part in these events will help to
support Mary’s Meals, allowing it to reach
desperately hungry children with the promise
of a school meal across 20 countries including
Ethiopia, Haiti, South Sudan and Syria.
And with it costing just £15.90 to feed a
child with Mary’s Meals for a whole school
year, it’s easy for your moves to make a
difference.
Thank you! Mark Beaumont,
athlete and broadcaster
total of 11 candidates
The councillors elected will shape
the way the council runs 700+
services in the city
The population in Edinburgh is
projected to grow to 586,566 by
2043, but the number of residents
under 15 is expected to decrease
by 5% between 2019 and 2043
The population density in
Edinburgh is 2,003 residents per
square kilometre – compared with
4,805 in Manchester
About us...
We write news stories relating to the Edinburgh area. If you
have any news, or if you would like to submit an article or
photograph for publication then please contact us.
Editor: Phyllis Stephen
Designer: Felipe Perez
Photos: Martin P McAdam
/EdinReporter
edinburghreporter
@EdinReporter
theedinburghreporter.co.uk
07791 406 498
editor@theedinburghreporter.co.uk