Chris Murray

For years, the story of bonfire night in Niddrie and Craigmillar has been one of disorder. In 2023, 62 officers were injured when fireworks were fired at the police. Heartbreakingly, fireworks also caused the death from stress of a baby red panda at Edinburgh zoo. After that, local people and the police decided that families should not have to be afraid on 5 November, and they launched an incredible operation. Thankfully, last Thursday, Niddrie was quiet. First and foremost, I thank the police—local PS Graeme Carolan and the local team, and the police officers who came up from England to help on patrol. That shows the value of cross-UK solidarity for our communities. I also want to thank Jeannie Robertson-Frazier and Donna Ruth from Sandy’s community centre, Kirsty Haigh from Edinburgh Food Social, and Cheryl Neill and Suzanne Douglas from Places for People’s Hays community hub. The good news in Niddrie is remarkable, because it is unusual. Policing in Musselburgh is a disgrace. I get almost daily emails from constituents reporting intimidation, harassment, supermarket theft and smashed-up restaurants. I have launched petitions, hosted coffee mornings, worked with the police and written countless letters to Scottish Ministers, yet precious little has been done. Our police do amazing work, but they are let down by the SNP. Although Edinburgh is Scotland’s capital, the E division that covers it has only 20 officers per 10,000 people—a third below the Scottish average. The SNP loves to make comparisons to England and Wales when it suits it, but the English average is 24 officers per 10,000 people; in Musselburgh it is only 16. It is inexplicable to me that the Scottish Government have had an extra £18 billion from this Labour Government, yet none of it has made its way to frontline policing. My constituents are paying the price. Solving antisocial behaviour is not rocket science: we just need more police.