Congratulations to the brilliant Sanne Dijkstra-Downie who has been selected for the target seat of Edinburgh Northern for the Scottish Parliament elections. I have known her for years and she has the biggest work ethic combined with wisdom, compassion and calmness. I really want to see her in Holyrood come the next elections in 2026.

The new Edinburgh Northern seat has a large chunk of Alex Cole-Hamilton’s current seat and we have beaten the SNP in its boundaries before.  Alex will be standing in the redrawn Edinburgh Western which sees him retain many of his strongholds and take on the Murrayfield end currently represented by Christine Jardine at Westminster.

Sanne has lived in Edinburgh for 23 years, living in the constituency for 20 years with her husband and two children. In her professional life, Sanne raises money for charities that provide educational opportunities, and helped establish an ocean protection initiative.

She has a strong record of community action, speaking out to secure better cycling and pedestrian infrastructure and more protection for Wardie Bay. In 2022, Sanne was elected as an Edinburgh Councillor for Forth ward, topping the poll ahead of Scottish Labour’s then Edinburgh leader. She sits on the Transport and Environment and Policy and Sustainability Committees.

Sanne said:

Ever since I came to Edinburgh to study 25 years ago, I have loved this city. It is my home and I am determined to be a hardworking champion for the people and communities that make up Edinburgh Northern.

Under the SNP, Edinburgh’s NHS waiting lists have grown, Scottish schools have tumbled down the international education rankings, and tens of thousands of litres of sewage have been dumped into the Firth of Forth.

I want to build on the successes of Liberal Democrats in the city, including party leader Alex Cole Hamilton MSP, Christine Jardine MP, and a 13-strong council group. It’s time for change. I will fight for the fair deal that Edinburgh Northern deserves.

Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

Sanne will be a great MSP. She has the experience and energy to represent Edinburgh Northern, and will speak up for residents on the issues that matter most.

At the next Scottish Parliament election, boundary changes redraw Edinburgh Northern. It’s clear that in that new seat, Sanne is the only person who will be able to challenge the SNP.

Sanne was at the Edinburgh South Burns Supper last night, just hours after her selection was announced and was already securing pledges of  help. I’m looking forward to getting stuck in to her campaign.

* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings