Leith area name change plan sparks new anger

Published on Thursday 21 May 2009 09:58

YOU would think it was a lesson already well learnt – don't mess with Leith.

Both Westminster and developer Forth Ports have come to regret upsetting Leithers by attempting to rebrand the area, and now it is the turn of the Scottish Parliament.

Proposals to rename constituencies for the next Scottish parliamentary elections suggest that the seat currently known as Edinburgh North & Leith should be redesignated Edinburgh Trinity & Leith.

The suggestion from the Boundary Commission for Scotland looks set to unleash yet another battle in the once- independent burgh.

Malcolm Chisholm, who has been the area's MSP since 1999, said the new name was nonsensical: "Trinity is part of Leith – it makes no sense to pick it out in that way.

"If you had to have Trinity in the name, you would put Leith first because it is much bigger.

"But it would make more sense to pick a part of the constituency which is not in Leith and have 'Leith and Broughton' or 'Leith and Calton'."

He said "North and Leith" was probably the most accurate name, but he understood the commission's desire to avoid names which were already used for Westminster seats.

But he added: "They always pick daft names."

The last time there were boundary changes for Westminster, the commission proposed dropping the Leith name altogether, but changed its mind after more than 3,000 people signed up to the Evening News-led "Keep Leith" campaign.

And when Forth Ports tried to rename a section of Leith Docks "Edinburgh Harbour" earlier this year, a lively campaign forced the firm into a U-turn, with the area now to be called "The Harbour, Leith Docks".

Leith Councillor Gordon Munro pledged to fight the new name change, and said he expected his neighbours to do the same: "In one way you expected Westminster to get it wrong, but for the Scottish Parliament to get it wrong just beggars belief. To call it that, you might as well name some of the individual streets in there as well.

"It's a typical stroke of the pen by a civil servant. I think representations will be made, and if these are not listened to I'm sure that the parliament will listen to the voices of the people. I'm sure Leithers will give it a warm reception in their usual style."

Today's proposals include several new names for Edinburgh's Holyrood constituencies in a bid to distinguish them from Westminster seats.

Edinburgh South becomes Edinburgh Southside; Edinburgh West becomes Edinburgh Corstorphine & Forth; and there is also a new Edinburgh East & South.

Dr Hugh Buchanan, secretary to the commission, said the latest proposals would be the subject of public consultation for the next month before final recommendations were made.

He said: "We want to hear the public's views because these are new names.

"The reason for the change is to distinguish the Scottish Parliament seats from the Westminster constituencies.

"But we know we are in new territory."