Deputy Lord Provost set to quit after 29 years

ONE of Edinburgh’s most high-profile councillors has announced he is to quit before next year’s elections.

Deputy Lord Provost Steve Cardownie, who started off on the Labour benches and defected to the SNP before leading the Nationalists into two successive coalitions, will stand down after nearly three decades on the council.

He said: “I’m not making a big thing of it. But I’ll have done 29 years – it’s time for someone else to get a kick of the ball.”

Former Lord Provosts Eric Milligan and Lesley Hinds have already announced they will not seek re-election next May, as has Labour council leader Andrew Burns.

Councillor Cardownie, 63, was first elected as Labour councillor for Forth in 1988.

He held a number of positions within the party, including group secretary and whip, and went on to serve as recreation convener, festival and events champion and Deputy Lord Provost.