‘Cabal’ battle councillor to stand as Labour candidate
David Walker was involved in two legal disputes with the council
A FORMER community councillor who had to stand down from his post after a lengthy legal battle with the city council is mounting a comeback – as a Labour candidate for the City Chambers.
Craigmillar community activist David Walker will fight the Portobello/Craigmillar ward at the elections in May.
His selection has proved controversial locally, as he was previously stripped of his role as secretary and returning officer of Craigmillar Community Council in 2008 following a lengthy legal battle about the way he and two other officials were elected.
The case ended up in the Court of Session and cost the taxpayer around £60,000.
He was also involved in a separate legal dispute with the council in his capacity as secretary of the Capacity Building Project (CBP), which ran the Craigmillar Settlement community centre and had unsuccessfully fought against council plans to turn it into offices.
The CBP lost the dispute after the Court of Session ruled in the council’s favour last year – but the wrangle cost the taxpayer £75,000.
It was a Labour-run council that launched the first legal battle with Mr Walker, as well as fellow Craigmillar Community Council officials Paul Nolan and Patsy King, branded locally as “the Craigmillar cabal”, in 2006.
The council instigated the judicial review following concerns that their appointments had broken community council rules. Mr Nolan was appointed unelected as a nominated representative of the Jack Kane Centre and was said to have had his selection ratified when many of his opponents were on holiday.
The stand-off on the Craigmillar Settlement building ran for two years following the CBP’s lease expiring in 2009. Lord Malcolm did not back the CBP’s call to quash the council’s decision to terminate the CBP lease but did say he was sympathetic to concerns about the loss of a community facility and the lack of consultation.
SNP councillor Mike Bridgman, who has represented the Portobello/Craigmillar ward since 2007 and is standing for reselection in May, said: “It is up to the Labour Party who they feel is a reasonable person to represent them.”
Councillor Andrew Burns, leader of the Labour group on the council, said: “Edinburgh Labour has a very robust selection process. All candidates went through that and several were not selected.”
Mr Walker, who will stand alongside fellow Labour councillor Maureen Child for the ward, was not available to comment.
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Comments
There are 31 comments to this article
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Niebiosa tam sa naprawde nieskrzydlowe ludzie tam
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 04:45 PMHe MUST have the dirt on somebody to get selected! Another nail in Labours coffin though, keep up the good work Burnsie :)
yellowsubmarine
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 04:20 PMThe Edinburgh Labour Party has really let themselves down here. You have a fantastic local councillor in Maureen Child who has as I have seen worked extremely hard for the area for years now and you put her up with someone with this history and negative standing in the community. I had actually been impressed by many of the positions taken up by the Edinburgh Labour party this year with the election looming but this goes along way to undoing all this good work. Seriously, how can someone like this get selected? What kind of daft procedures must be in place for it to happen? Here's hoping it won't effect Ms Child's vote!
The Genuine Mario Antionette
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 04:09 PMIs this Walker related to the ex LibDem Walker who "represented" Sciennes & who took a payment to stand down.
Niebiosa tam sa naprawde nieskrzydlowe ludzie tam
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 03:05 PMSC quotes “I keep telling people, I don’t even like marzipan,” he says. “Keep your feet on the ground, and remember what’s important.” Nobody holds a gun to my head in terms of standing again, you have some days you wish you hadn’t been involved, but that’s more than outweighed by the days where you’ve made some positive contribution,” Buuhhahahahahahaha
harlequin
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 01:55 PMSame old Labour,"a robust selection process" LMAO
Niebiosa tam sa naprawde nieskrzydlowe ludzie tam
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 01:26 PMHeres some advice, turncoat to SNP like Stevie did, he's never looked back !
Niebiosa tam sa naprawde nieskrzydlowe ludzie tam
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 01:24 PM#23 aye post one here and Grahamski will answer, or not hehe
Niebiosa tam sa naprawde nieskrzydlowe ludzie tam
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 01:23 PMHow did thois lassies get to the top of the housing list wonder if they paid any rent ? He tried to "charm" lassies in the Polish community, BUT they were more discerning than the Ukrainians,he soon got his nose in a sling.
haggis scoffer
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 01:23 PMi need advise my from the good people on here discussing politics,my mp eric joyce is in the police cells in london accused of assualt,if you require to speak to him does anyone know the procedure to speak to an mp who is in the pokey.
Elvis
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 12:59 PMHe and Nolan et.al have lined their pockets for years at the expense of the real folk of Craigmillar. Where did all the funding go-certainly never ended up in grassroots CraigmillarNiddrie!!
Sally Longlegs
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 12:57 PMI see from an EEN report in 2005 that the bold Stevie had got married for the FIFTH time lol. Twice to Ukrainians ! Da Da Da
Sally Longlegs
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 12:39 PMThis makes for interesting reading. http:planet-politics.blogspot.com201103colourful-mr-coutts.html
Niebiosa tam sa naprawde nieskrzydlowe ludzie tam
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 12:32 PMCouncillor Andrew Burns, leader of the Labour group on the council, said: “Edinburgh Labour has a very robust selection process hahahahahahahahahahaha
Niebiosa tam sa naprawde nieskrzydlowe ludzie tam
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 12:32 PMStill parking in the quad of parliament square ?
Niebiosa tam sa naprawde nieskrzydlowe ludzie tam
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 12:31 PMI hope SNP has the sense to deselect SC.
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