SNP oust Labour in Edinburgh council by-election

The SNP has defeated Labour to win a council by-election in the capital.

Rob Munn has been voted in as the new member for the Leith Walk area on the City of Edinburgh Council.

The by-election had been sparked by the resignation of Labour councillor Marion Donaldson – but her party was pushed into third place behind the Scottish Greens.

Mr Munn was elected with 2,596 first preference votes, ahead of Lorna Slater of the Greens, who polled 1,855.

Labour candidate Nick Gardner polled 1,123, ahead of Tom Laird of the Scottish Conservatives on 777, and Jack Caldwell of the Liberal Democrats, who was fifth with 623 votes.

SNP leader and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted her congratulations to Mr Munn, who becomes her party’s newest elected representative – hailing his victory as a “fantastic result”.

Mr Munn said he was “absolutely delighted” and he vowed to “work to deliver the very best for all people in the ward and across the city of Edinburgh”.

He added: “I’m looking forward to representing the people of Leith, and being a strong and responsive voice for the community.”

Adam McVey, City of Edinburgh Council leader, tweeted: “Delighted @robm2 elected as our newest @theSNP Councillor! Fantastic candidate, outstanding advocate for people in Leith Walk & will bring a wealth of experience in helping us take forward our ambitious programme for City! Thank you to all who supported us.”

SNP depute leader Keith Brown said: “Many congratulations to Rob Munn for this fantastic victory.

“Rob will join a strong SNP group who are delivering for local communities and vital public services in Edinburgh, protecting them from the worst of Tory cuts.

“Despite the Tories throwing the kitchen sink at this by-election, the SNP comfortably topped the poll. This goes to show how far the Tories and Labour have fallen. In a Remain-voting ward, it’s no wonder both parties were trounced.”