Labour Maintains Leadership of Edinburgh Council

Labour has maintained its leadership of the City of Edinburgh Council, operating as a minority administration with the support of Conservative and Liberal Democrat councillors. Jane Meagher has been appointed as the council’s new leader. Her predecessor, Cammy Day, resigned following allegations that he sent sexually explicit messages to Ukrainian refugees. An attempt by SNP and Green councillors to assume control of the council’s administration was unsuccessful, being voted down by 32 votes to 28. Labour holds only 10 of the 63 councillor positions that constitute the city’s governing body. Councillor Meagher, who represents the Portobello and Craigmillar ward, participated in the meeting remotely via video link from a family holiday in Tanzania. She stated her commitment, saying she was “willing to take the type of decisions that will help the people of Edinburgh”. Councillor Day did not attend the meeting in person, instead joining by video link with his camera turned off. He spoke solely to cast his vote. Councillor Day’s resignation occurred after the Sunday Mail reported that he had “bombarded” Ukrainian refugees with messages, including asking sexually explicit questions. It subsequently emerged that he was under investigation by Police Scotland concerning an allegation of inappropriate behaviour. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not accountable for the content of external websites. Information regarding our approach to external linking is available.