Edinburgh Council’s SNP group has voted in a new leader with close to 10 years of experience in city politics after the group’s last boss was elected to Scottish Parliament.
Councillor Lesley Macinnes, for Liberton/Gilmerton ward, will replace Cllr Simita Kumar – who currently sits for Southside/Newington ward – in the role.
Group councillors selected her in a contest at the party’s annual general meeting on Tuesday night, beating Drum Brae / Gyle councillor Euan Hyslop.
Cllr Kumar ran the group for two years, taking over the leadership role after an informal coalition between Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives ended the SNP-Labour coalition – led by the former party – in the city.
The SNP was returned as the largest party in the council at the 2022 local government election, maintaining their level of seats at the prior contest.
No party won an overall majority.
Cllr Macinnes, first elected in 2017, said: “It is a great honour to be elected leader by the SNP Council group and I want to thank my fellow candidates, who contribute enormously to the work we do.
“We have a councillor group filled with talented, dedicated people working hard for their communities.
“In the last year of this current chaotic Council administration we will be working hard to reassure Edinburgh residents that electing an SNP-led administration in May 2027 is the better choice for people and communities across Edinburgh.”
She added that Cllr Kumar, as well as fellow SNP councillor Kate Campbell, being elected to Holyrood at the Scottish Parliament election earlier this month was an ‘excellent outcome’ for the city.
Cllr Kumar won Edinburgh South Western for the party, while Cllr Campbell won Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and Tranent.
Cllr Kumar said: “My hearty congratulations to Cllr Lesley Macinnes, and commiserations to Cllr Euan Hyslop.
“The strength of the SNP group has always been the people within it and those who lead it.
“I’m delighted to support Cllr Macinnes as she takes us forward, and I look forward to working together in the next chapter for the group.”
After being returned at the election on May 7, Cllr Kumar told the Local Democracy Reporting Service she was still evaluating whether she would step down as a councillor or stay on for the nine months to the next council election.
After losing the vote, Cllr Hyslop, voted in in 2022, said he warmly welcomed Cllr Macinnes into the role.
He added: “The strength of the SNP group has always been the people within it and those who lead it.
“I’m delighted to support Cllr Macinnes as she takes us forward, and I look forward to working together in the next chapter for the group.”
Cllr Macinnes was deputy leader of the party group for seven years, and held several key posts in the council during the SNP’s time in administration.
She helmed the city’s Transport and Environment committee, and delivered two budgets as finance spokesperson.
She also worked in senior public sector roles, including as head of communications for a Geneva-based NGO which worked to clear landmines and cluster munitions.
