Edinburgh Wester Hailes residents want ideas to 'keep young people off the streets'

With the general election rapidly approaching, Edinburgh Live spoke to residents in the Edinburgh South West constituency to gauge what issues are most important to them leading up to July 4.

Voters were vocal about the cost of living, NHS waiting times, immigration, public infrastructure, and support for education and young people.

Shona, a high school teacher in Wester Hailes, said that she wanted: “More positive destinations for our young people.”

READ MORE - Watch: Residents in Edinburgh North and Leith have their say ahead of election

READ MORE - Edinburgh Portobello voters speak on top priorities ahead of General Election

Brad, a Wester Hailes resident, said: “I want a community for the youths so they have something to keep them off the street and save them from getting into bad habits such as crime.”

The cost of living was another common theme for South West voters.

Shona said: “The cost of living and rent are important, especially with the austerity around this area.”

Pamela, 26, a Forester resident, said: “Everything has gone up in price and the wages aren’t great either. Housing just keeps getting more expensive too, so it makes it difficult for everyone to live in general.”

When asked to share their thoughts on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, South West residents who spoke to Edinburgh Live shared mixed opinions. Some were partial to the Tory leader, such as Glenda, 75, who said: “I like him. I’m all for the Tories.

Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox

One resident, a veteran named Habron, had met Rishi Sunak in Balta, Shetland while serving in the military.

Habron said: “From what I can see, the government is holding well right now. I don’t have anything bad to say about Rishi Sunak. I think he’s a good leader.

Other South West residents used more negative words to describe the Tory leader, such as “dishonest”, “arrogant”, and “spoiled”.

Karen, a South West resident, said: “He wasn’t voted for, he wasn’t elected. He's not the people’s choice of anything. The election needs to happen, whether the Conservatives stay in power or not.”

On Keir Starmer, residents were similarly impartial, describing the Labour leader with words like: “dull”, “not a leader”, “incompetent”, and “arrogant”.

Ben, 20, said of Starmer: “Most of the people who go into politics come from privileged positions. They claim that they don’t, but I feel like there’s no one that actually represents the people anymore, and he definitely won’t represent the people.”

Edinburgh South West includes Currie, Balerno, Wester Hailes, Craiglockhart, Dalry, and Fountainbridge.

SNP MP Joanna Cherry has held the seat since 2015.

Cherry is running for re-election against Edinburgh Councillor Scott Arthur (Scottish Labour) and Lothian MSP Sue Webber (Scottish Conservative), among others.

Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.