That this House acknowledges the positive action taken by Midlothian Council Leader Kelly Parry, Provost Debbi McCall and Chief Executive Dr Grace Vickers in endorsing the Jo Cox Civility campaign and signing the pledge on behalf of all Midlothian councillors to run a respectful election campaign; recognises that the pledge actioned by the Jo Cox Foundation was launched in memory of Labour MP Jo Cox who was sadly murdered outside her constituency surgery in Birstall in 2016 because of her political beliefs a week before the EU referendum; further recognises that this campaign is to tackle all forms of abuse and intimidation against elected representatives and to highlight that everyone has the right to express their views without fear of harassment or threat; notes that in 2022, Local Government Association research found that seven out of 10 councillors had experienced abuse in the previous year; and further notes that abuse can make elected representatives feel they need to step down and put potential future candidates off standing altogether, which fully demonstrates the importance of signing the pledge which commits parties and candidates to set a respectful tone when campaigning, promote constructive debate and defend the dignity of others.

That this House acknowledges the positive action taken by Midlothian Council Leader Kelly Parry, Provost Debbi McCall and Chief Executive Dr Grace Vickers in endorsing the Jo Cox Civility campaign and signing the pledge on behalf of all Midlothian councillors to run a respectful election campaign; recognises that the pledge...

That this House congratulates the Scottish National Party (SNP) Midlothian Council group on their success in being elected as the largest party following Thursday 6th May’s local elections; recognises that the SNP successfully won both the most seats and the most votes, and has therefore secured a mandate to form Midlothian Council’s next administration; recognises that the SNP’s success in Midlothian reflects the people of Midlothian’s desire for a new administration that prioritises local services, a forward-thinking and long-term outlook for Midlothian’s future, and meaningful engagement with communities; congratulates the following elected SNP Midlothian councillors: Debbi McCall, Connor McManus, Dianne Alexander, Colin Cassidy, Kelly Parry, Stuart McKenzie, Douglas Bowen, and Ellen Scott; further congratulates all the SNP Midlothian candidates who were not elected, for running fantastic campaigns that engaged the people of Midlothian and highlighted the local issues most important to communities; sincerely thanks voters in Midlothian for putting their faith in the SNP to take on the mantle of running Midlothian Council on their behalf; and wishes the SNP Midlothian Council group the very best in forming an administration and putting Midlothian’s needs first.

That this House congratulates the Scottish National Party (SNP) Midlothian Council group on their success in being elected as the largest party following Thursday 6th May’s local elections; recognises that the SNP successfully won both the most seats and the most votes, and has therefore secured a mandate to form...

That this House congratulates Councillor Owen Thompson on his election as the Scottish National Party's (SNP) latest elected representative following his decisive victory in the local authority by-election in Loanhead in Midlothian Council on the night of Thursday 10th November; notes that this victory was gained by a massive swing from Labour and Liberal Democrat voters which saw the SNP vote increase by nearly 30 per cent.; recognises that the seat was won against a strong campaign by the Labour Party's ex-Council Leader who had previously held the seat for 17 years until narrowly losing it by 12 votes in 2003 to an independent; welcomes the fact that the SNP has won the majority of local by-elections held since the 2005 election with five gains out of nine contests; further welcomes the fact that in all the nine by-elections the SNP is far ahead of the other parties in terms of the popular vote; and views this victory as a solid indication that the choice for Scottish voters in the 2007 elections will be a clear one between an SNP Executive with a vision of taking Scotland forward, or the failing Labour-LibDem Executive holding Scotland back on behalf of London.

That this House congratulates Councillor Owen Thompson on his election as the Scottish National Party's (SNP) latest elected representative following his decisive victory in the local authority by-election in Loanhead in Midlothian Council on the night of Thursday 10th November; notes that this victory was gained by a massive swing...