4 NEWS
Tell us about your day job. What do you do
now, a potted career history, and what do
you love about it?
I am a full-time councillor at the moment.
Before being elected, I was working as a trust
administrator, being part of a team that managed
several private grant awarding trusts.
I really want to dedicate my time to the people
that elected me. I feel it is an honour and take it
very seriously.
I also use that time to learn how to be
the most effective representative for my local
area – at The City Chambers and also getting
to know all the fantastic local organisations we
have in Liberton/Gilmerton
I am a single mother of two and I like to have
time to do the things I enjoy and have a healthy
work-life balance.
How do you usually spend your Sundays?
If I have the children with me, I’ll be out and
about with friends that have kids, in the park, at
the beach, and as active as possible.
If I don’t have the children, I’m also out and
about: I love the outdoors and especially walking
(I am a member of Ramblers Scotland Strategic
Committee), cycling, social events, meeting
friends for a chat, just exploring, or maybe having
a lazy day after a ceilidh or a night out.
I also love to organise events for one of the
several groups I belong to. If I am at home, I will
be sewing or doing DYI. Some Sundays, you will
find me at the Buddhist centre in Leith.
What is your favourite music,
poetry, or books?
I love several types of music, depending on my
mood. At the moment, Grunge and Rock.
Books are the same as music: it depends on my
mood. I’m reading a lot about independence now
but really enjoy historical romances and anything
related to history.
If I was banished to a desert island I would
take DIY stuff, my sewing machine and fabric,
needles, and wool. Probably my phone with
Spotify and my meditation app.
What do you like about the place you
represent and what would you like to fix?
Liberton/Gilmerton is a really big ward. We have
a bit of everything and that diversity is very
interesting. It is where I have been living since I
moved to Scotland, so it is my home and I want
to do the best I can for it.
I really believe that the concept of the 20
minute neighbourhood is the best for everyone,
so that is why I stood in the ward I live in and
what I will endeavour to achieve, within my
powers.
I also stood because I am a New Scot (I’m
originally from Portugal and I usually introduce
myself as a very proud New Scot) and a single
mother. Those groups can be forgotten when policy
is being planned and I want to give them a voice.Which council committees are you
a member of?
I am on the Education, Children and Families
committee – as I’ve said, I’m a single parent and
immigrant myself so I feel I can bring a very
important perspective to the work of that
particular committee.
And I sit on the Regulatory and Licensing
Sub-committee – again I bring the important
perspective of being an immigrant and a single
mother and also my diverse life experience is
an advantage.What is your primary reason for
getting into politics?
Brexit made me realise how unbalanced things
are between Scotland and the rest of the UK. Iwasn’t allowed to vote, even though I live here,
pay taxes here, work, pay a mortgage. So that
made me search for more and I now understand
that the only way forward is independence.
As a councillor, we cannot achieve
independence, but we can make people aware
how things would be different, when we have the
chance to do things our way.
For instance, if we had the powers to borrow,
the bin strikes could have been avoided, and
social housing would be quicker to build
I believe that, as a councillor, we see the
reality first hand and we are the people who
residents contact.
People don’t always fully understand the
difference between councillors, MSPs and MPs
but we are the ones closest to them and to their
daily services. And these services would be
greatly improved with independence, when
we would be able to create and adapt policies
more independently.What is your worst fault...?
I have been told that I have too much energy.
For some that is a fault, for others a quality.
Anyway, it is who I am and I have no plans
to change it.And finally, what else you would like to tell
our readers about you?
Everyone knows how passionate I am about
independence; how diligent I can be towards
helping everyone around me.
In short, I am happy if the people around me
are h appy.- I love ceilidhs (doesn’t mean I am good at it, but
always enjoy myself ). - I lie about my age, since most people do not
believe I am as old as I am anyway, I take
advantage of it. - I also love a good night out in Edinburgh, and
every week, I’m out with friends, at least once.
BEFORE I RETIRED, I was a community
worker for most of my working life, in
different parts of Edinburgh from Wester
Hailes to Leith. I met a lot of inspiring, hard
working people who wanted to make their
communities better places to live, from
taking action against dampness in their
homes to offering support to aimless
young people or improving life chances
through adult education. It was a privilege
to work alongside them and to help to
make a real difference to people’s lives.
At weekends I like to go swimming in the
morning, followed by coffee and chat with
friends then catching up with emails. I have
a WhatsApp call on Sundays so that I can
keep in touch with my grandchildren and
family who live abroad.
Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve been a
great opera lover, which made my nine
brothers and sisters and school friends
think I was a bit odd.A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE
I am councillor for the area where I have
lived for 36 years - Portobello. I can’t think
of a better place to live, with a beach,
swim centre, community centres,
numerous clubs, restaurants, shops,
schools, and so much more, all within
walking distance. Craigmillar has always
had a vibrant community life although
parts of it have now changed beyond
recognition, with so much new housing,
community resources and a splendid new
High School.
Throughout the pandemic, young
people paid the price for protecting more
vulnerable people and I would like to help
to redress that balance.
I’m the Convener of Housing,
Homelessness and Fair work and we have
a massive challenge. Edinburgh is a hugely
popular and growing city, with the
equivalent of 100 new people moving in
to the city every week. We simply don’t
have enough affordable homes for
everyone, in spite of our many efforts. We
are building and acquiring as many homes
as the council’s finances permit, and the
recent legislation to limit short term lets
should encourage landlords to rent their
properties to people who need homes,
not holidays.
Homelessness is a growing problem in
the city, likely to be made worse by the
cost of living crisis. Ultimately, I would like
to end the pain and trauma of
homelessness and provide a greater
number of affordable homes. To do this,
we need the support of The Scottish
Government to unlock the borrowing
potential to fully achieve our aims.PROFILE:
Cllr Jane Meagher
(Scottish Labour)
PROFILE: Cllr Martha Mattos Coelho (Scottish National Party)
Martha with the First MinisterThe Edinburgh Reporter has invited all of 2022’s newly
elected councillors to tell us a little about themselves...