Thank you to the candidates and attendees at the first Climate and Poverty Hustings for the newly created Edinburgh East, Musselburgh and Tranent seat. With difficult and diverse questions on topics ranging from flood defences to food price caps – we hope it was a valuable discussion ahead of the Scottish Elections on 7 May.
The hustings was attended by representatives for the six main parties, an independent candidate and 103 members of the public.
The panel of seven included six local candidates and a representative of the Scottish Green Party. It was a lively debate, skilfully moderated by David Lee.
Thank you also to the co-hosts Sustaining Musselburgh, Volunteer Centre East Lothian and St Andrews High Church in Musselburgh for holding the event.
Below is a summary of the panelists and their party’s pledges for the local constituency.
For a full comparison of the main party manifestos, see the Climate Hub’s Pledge Comparison for the 2026 elections, here.
Kate Campbell, Scottish National Party
Candidate
- Housing and energy costs are huge drivers for the Cost of Living Crisis. I will work hard to make sure we get a fair share of money allocated for social and affordable housing, recognising the very high levels of housing pressure. I also want to see a fair deal for people in the private rented sector and lots of investment in energy efficient new housing, and retrofitting of older houses, so that we bring down bills alongside carbon emissions.
- Our natural environment is precious, and as a seaside constituency I will prioritise our waterways, beaches and seas. We need to keep them clean, manage them properly, provide the right facilities and plan for the impact of climate change while also making sure we preserve the natural aspects which make them so special
Alan Grant, Liberal Democrats
Candidate
- Make homes warmer and cheaper to heat with a new emergency insulation programme
- Accelerate the roll-out of smart climate-friendly heating systems including heat pumps and district heating, backed by a Fairer Heating Bill
- Re-write the rules so local people get much more of the money companies make from generating renewable energy near the
Tim Jones, Conservative and Unionist Party
Candidate
- Musselburgh Flood Prevention Scheme – Start Again!
- Establish a National Flood Management Fund so that local communities can access funding for local flood management in association with the local authority.
- Ensure that new housing and infrastructure are aligned.
- Call for a new and fairer funding formula as population growth is one of the fastest in Scotland.
Jo Phillips, Green Party
Party Representative
- Support active travel, increase travel services and provide free bus travel for all – to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality in East Lothian.
- Deliver 100% monitoring of sewage overflows, implement tighter controls to prevent pollution, and enforce the ‘polluter pays’ principle
- to ensure clean beaches and improved water quality along the East Lothian coast.
- Invest £600 million in renewable energy, invest £200 million in nature restoration and provide free bus travel – to reduce carbon emissions across East Lothian and Scotland.
- Support the flood defence measures in Musselburgh and the wider nature restoration of the Lothian Esk Catchment – to reduce flood risks in the area.
- Return vacant properties back into occupation, develop brown field sites, reduce short-term lets and develop new social and sustainable housing in consultation with local communities – to tackle the housing crisis and protect the East Lothian countryside.
- Invest £600 million in renewable energy, provide cash support for home insulation. and implement heat networks such as the Millerhill Project – to stabilise and reduce energy prices.
Angela Ross, Reform UK
Candidate
- Determine common sense policy and methods to help support energy security in a sustainable, long term, financially viable way
- Support local community issues to meet sensible, cost effective and environmentally sound solutions, for example the River Esk flood planning measures and the Fisherrow pollution…
- Give local populations more of a voice with Government policy that enables and does not control
- Support an easing of the cost of living and linked poverty and social issues by taking measures to grow the economy and allow people to keep more money in their pockets through income tax cuts
Katherine Sangster, Scottish Labour Party
Candidate
- Grow the economy and create well paid local jobs
- Create breaktast clubs in every local school
- Continue working with local food projects to combat food insecurity ensuring they multi year funding to plan and grow
- Reduce energy bills and support roll out of community energy projects
- Protect our beaches by increased monitoring of sewage overflows boosting coverage to match UK
levels
Joe Smith, Alliance to Liberate Scotland
Candidate
- Clean Up Our Beaches and Bathing Waters. Prioritise investment in upgraded wastewater infrastructure and coastal restoration so Fisherrow Sands and our Forth beaches meet the highest standards. Clean, safe waters will support community health, tourism and pride in our coastline.
- End Food Poverty – Short and Long Term. Short term: Expand emergency support through local food banks and pantries.
Long term: Supercharge community growing initiatives like Sustaining Musselburgh, the Heugh and Forest Garden in Tranent, Tyninghame Community Farm CSA, and the East Lothian Food Growers Collective. - Use resource revenues to fund more allotments, regenerative farms, solidarity-priced fresh food, and better free school meals – so healthy, local food becomes a right, not a luxury
For contacts and further details about the candidates in the 2026 election visit whocanivotefor.co.uk
